Navigation
Hyper‐palatable foods: development of a quantitative definition and application to the US food system database
The purpose of this 2019 study was to quantitatively define hyperpalatable foods (HPF), and to use this definition to determine the prevalence in the U.S. food system. So far, the meaning of hyperpalatable foods has not been particularly specific and have been described using terms such as fast food and sweets. Fazzino et al. therefore quantified constituents such as fats, simple sugars, carbohydrates, and sodium, by collecting the common definitions written in the literature and using a type of nutrition software. The researchers found three clusters according to the research literature that defined HPF: > 25% kcal fat and ≥ 0.30% sodium by weight; > 20% kcal fat and > 20% kcal from sugar; and > 40% kcal carbohydrates with ≥ 0.20% sodium by weight. When this definition was applied to the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS), it was revealed that 62% of foods met HPF criteria. Those identified to meet the criteria included labeled reduced or low fat and vegetables cooked in creams, sauces, or fats. A substantial proportion of foods in the U.S. food system may be hyperpalatable including foods that had previously not been regarded as HPF. [NPID: behavior, hyperpalatable foods, fast food, sweets, high-fat high-sugar, western-style diet]
Year: 2019
