Exploring the consumption of ultra-processed foods and its association with food addiction in overweight children.

In this 2019 study, 139 overweight children (9-11 years old) were recruited from their schools and checked for food addiction. The aim was to investigate the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and food addiction among children in the overweight BMI category. Food frequency questionnaires were firstly administered to discover the extent to which the children’s meals were processed. Almost all the kids (95%) exhibited at least one sign of food addiction, while 24% were diagnosed with this behavioral addiction. These school children that were diagnosed tended to consume high amounts of added sugar (refined sugar, honey, corn syrup) as well as ultra-processed foods. Eating cookies or biscuits was independently related to food addiction (odds ratio of 4.19), while the intake of sausages was associated with an even higher risk (odds ratio of 11.77). Filgueiras et al. emphasizes the importance of identifying the foods that may provoke addictive behavior, for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity (a massive worldwide problem). [NPID: diet, adolescence, obesity, food addiction, processed foods, children, behavioral addiction, refined sugar, honey, corn syrup, cookies, biscuits, sausage, childhood obesity, youth obesity]

Year: 2019

Reference: Filgueiras, A. R., Pires de Almeida, V. B., Koch Nogueira, P. C., Alvares Domene, S. M., Eduardo da Silva, C., Sesso, R., & Sawaya, A. L. (2019). Exploring the consumption of ultra-processed foods and its association with food addiction in overweight children. Appetite, 135, 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.11.005

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