The Dangers of Highly Processed Foods

Have you ever sat down and watched a movie, opened a bag of chips, and before you know it you ate all of them? This is quite common because chips are very salty, tasty, and highly processed. According to the British Medical Journal, the more processed a food is, the less satiating it is due to the lack of nutrients {via}. Ultra-processed foods are considered the most processed and are higher in calories and lower in nutrients compared to non-processed foods such as fruit. Almost all of our food is processed due to technology; however, the processed foods that I am going to focus on today are foods like chips, cookies, fruit snacks, crackers, etc. I am majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics and one day I hope to be a registered dietitian and teach clients how to live a healthy lifestyle. Today I am discussing how processed foods hijack your hunger levels, are damaging the health of the United States, and why you should try to limit the number of processed foods in your diet.

A large bag of potato chips can contain 5-6 potatoes. Now, we all know how easy it is to eat a bag of chips, but could you eat 5-6 potatoes in one sitting. The answer is probably no. This is because potatoes are so satiating and filling. Ultra-processed foods allow us to eat more than we usually would. According to the National Institutes of Health, a study found that people consumed 500 more calories per day when they ate a diet that contained ultra-processed foods than a diet with unprocessed foods. The subjects did not know how many calories they were consuming and were encouraged to eat until they were satisfied. The subjects also ate faster on the ultra-processed diet and gained 2 pounds of fat on average per week. When the same subjects ate a minimally processed diet, they lost 2 pounds of fat on average per week {via}. This study is strong evidence that ultra-processed foods make you eat more therefore gain weight. Next time you want a snack, consider eating whole foods such as nuts and fruits to keep you healthy, and stay full longer. Now, let’s talk about how ultra-processed foods are damaging the health of the United States.

Many nutritional experts believe ultra-processed foods are why we are seeing an increase in obesity in the United States. According to the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, ultra-processed foods were responsible for about 60% of the total calories of the American diet {via}. There are many studies claiming that ultra-processed foods can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the consumption of processed foods lead to an increase in risk of mortality {via}. Obesity is defined as a complex disease involving an excess of body fat. Referring back to the study earlier about an increase of body fat on the processed diet, a possible cause of obesity, not the only cause, could be ultra-processed foods.  The Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health found that half of the United States population will be obese by 2030. Currently, 40% of Americans are obese {via}. A few decades ago, only a small percentage of Americans were obese. In 10 years, half of the country will have obesity. In order to prevent this from happening, people need to be more aware of the dangers of ultra-processed food. Every gas station, grocery store, even pharmacies have aisles of candy, chips, crackers, and pastries. There’s a phrase that says food is medicine. If candy and chips are your medicine, changing your medicine could literally change your life.

I know that ultra-processed foods are delicious, and I’m not asking you to never have chips again. In fact, never having ultra-processed foods again could cause you to have an unhealthy relationship with food. I’m encouraging you to be mindful of your food choices and crowd out processed foods by adding fruits, vegetables, meats, legumes, etc. to your diet. The Heart Foundation recommends cooking at home, snack on whole foods, and be realistic {via}. There are thousands of websites that have healthy recipes and tips on how to include more whole foods into your diet. Including my blog! :) It’s not about perfection, it’s about consistency.

 

I believe you can enjoy all foods in moderation; however, in the United States ultra-processed foods are being overconsumed. In order to be a healthier nation, people need to take action and have the self-discipline to become healthier. Especially with COVID-19, it is important to stay healthy in order to have a strong immune system. Whenever I’m a dietitian, I hope to help people make better food choices. In order to prevent half of the population to become obese, I encourage you to limit the amount of ultra-processed foods in your diet in order to live a longer, healthier, and strong life.

Thank you for reading!

Gabby