Hundreds of novel ingredients never encountered by human physiology are now found in nearly 60 percent of the average adult’s diet and nearly 70 percent of children’s diets in the U.S. An emerging health hazard is the unprecedented consumption of these ultra-processed foods in the standard American diet. This may be the new “silent” killer, as was unrecognized high blood pressure in previous decades.
Tag: Junk Food
Many Children in Rural Areas Receive High Salt and Sugar Foods Before Age 2
A study of over 10,000 children in rural Pennsylvania revealed that a large proportion of children were fed foods that are high in sugar and salt in their first years of life.
Feeling Anxious or Blue? Ultra-processed Foods May be to Blame
A study measuring mild depression, number of mental unhealthy days and number of anxious days in 10,359 adults 18 and older found those who consumed the most ultra-processed foods as compared with those who consumed the least amount had statistically significant increases in the adverse mental health symptoms of mild depression, “mentally unhealthy days” and “anxious days.” They also had significantly lower rates of reporting zero “mentally unhealthy days” and zero “anxious days.” Findings are generalizable to the entire U.S. as well as other Western countries with similar ultra-processed food intakes.
How Kids Eat: Five New Insights on Daily Habits and Childhood Obesity
What we eat during childhood can affect the health of individuals—and populations—for years to come. As rates of childhood obesity continue to rise, five studies being presented at NUTRITION 2021 LIVE ONLINE bring new insights into the diets of children and teens around the world.
Kid Influencers Are Promoting Junk Food Brands on YouTube—Garnering More Than a Billion Views
Kids with wildly popular YouTube channels are frequently promoting unhealthy food and drinks in their videos, warn researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine in a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.
Healthy commercial ads don’t change teens’ desire to eat junk food
How teens’ brains respond to TV commercials for fast food can predict what they are going to eat for dinner, according to new University of Michigan research.
How Far Schoolkids Live From Junk Food Sources Tied to Obesity
As measured in city blocks, proximity to fast and convenience food sellers can impact a student’s chances of becoming obese, according to a new study by researchers at NYU School of Medicine.
‘Junk Food’ Diet May Predict Future Depression Symptoms in Teens
An innovative study finds that sodium and potassium levels—reflections of a person’s typical diet—may be predictors of future depression in teens. The first-of-its-kind study is published in Physiological Reports.