Dr. Manoj Sharma-
Dr. Sharma is a Professor and Chair of the Social and Behavioral Health Department and an Adjunct Professor in Internal Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He is a global expert in health promotion.
Ultra-processed foods are gaining in popularity all over the world, particularly in North America. Some estimates show the North American diet consists of more than half of the calories in the form of ultra-processed foods. What are they? Ultra-processed foods have been created to replace fresh meals through a series of industrial processes such as hydrolysis, hydrogenation, extrusion, molding, milling, frying, the addition of flavors, the supplementation of emulsifiers, and the add-on of coloring agents. Examples of these foods include soft drinks, energy drinks, flavored yogurts, chocolate, chips, ice cream, candy, sweetened cereals, packaged soups, ready-to-eat meals, different plant milk, meat substitutes, and many more products.
Are these ultra-processed foods harmful? There are arguments on both sides. However, a recent systematic umbrella review of 45 existing meta-analyses (a quantitative approach to derive cumulative evidence from several research studies) with an overall sample size of about 10 million participants published in the BMJ found that consuming more ultra-processed food concluded that these were linked to negative heart health, negative metabolic health (such as overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc.), poor mental health and worse mortality outcomes. So, there is growing consensus that these ultra-processed foods are indeed harmful to physical and mental health.
In the wake of rising evidence against these ultra-processed foods, what should be done? Of course, it is a complex problem. At the individual level, if one can avoid these products one must make every attempt to do so. An example would be to replace flavored yogurt with plain yogurt or packaged soups with freshly home-prepared soups or replace ready-to-eat meals with fresh meals prepared from scratch and so on. Another important step, at the individual level, would be to forgo ultra-processed foods that do not have nutritional value such as sodas, energy drinks, etc. Yet another approach, at the individual level, would be to consume more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Evidence-based educational programs can be designed to promote such behaviors. Contemporary behavioral theories like the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change can be utilized to develop efficacious and effective interventions for changing these behaviors to healthy ones.
At the policy level, advertising of ultra-processed foods should be curbed. There should be elimination of these products from school meals, healthcare facilities, and other institutional and governmental programs. Lawmakers should impose greater taxation on these products just like tobacco and alcohol. The revenues generated can be mobilized to promote evidence-based educational programs at the individual level. Also, subsidies on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. must be implemented. Finally, the ultra-processed food industry should be encouraged to invest its profits into more research is coming up with healthier products as opposed to mere profit chasing.
