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Unhealthy Food and Beverage Consumption in Children and Risk of Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Rousham, EK, Goudet, S, Markey, O, Griffiths, P, Boxer, B, Carroll, C, Petherick, ES, Pradeilles, R
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). 2022
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Infants and children are consuming increasing amounts of foods with added sugars, high in salt, and high in saturated or trans fats. Commercially prepared foods are more likely to be high in energy, low in nutrients (energy dense, nutrient-poor), and ultra-processed. The aim of this study was to examine, in children aged ≤10.9 y, the risks of greater consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages compared with no or low consumption on overweight and obesity. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis which included the summarized characterises of 71 articles from 60 included studies. Results indicate that in children aged ≤10.9 years, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and unhealthy foods may increase body mass index, percentage body fat, or the odds of overweight/obesity (low to very-low certainty). Furthermore, there was little or no difference to body mass index, percentage body fat, or overweight/obesity outcomes (low certainty) after consumption of artificially sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juices. Authors conclude that policy recommendations are needed to address the growing burden of overweight and obesity that children are experiencing worldwide.
Abstract
This WHO-commissioned review contributed to the update of complementary feeding recommendations, synthesizing evidence on effects of unhealthy food and beverage consumption in children on overweight and obesity. We searched PubMed (Medline), Cochrane CENTRAL and Embase for articles, irrespective of language or geography. Inclusion criteria were: 1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs); non-RCTs; cohort studies and pre/post studies with control; 2) participants ≤ 10.9 y at exposure; 3) studies reporting greater consumption of unhealthy foods/beverages vs. no or low consumption; 4) studies assessing anthropometric and/or body composition; and 5) publication date ≥ 1971. Unhealthy foods and beverages were defined using nutrient- and food-based approaches. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I and RoB2 tools for non-randomized and randomized studies, respectively. Narrative synthesis was complemented by meta-analyses where appropriate. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Of 26,542 identified citations, 60 studies from 71 articles were included. Most studies were observational (59/60), and no included studies were from low-income countries. The evidence base was low quality, as assessed by ROBINS-I and RoB2 tools. Evidence synthesis was limited by the different interventions and comparators across studies. Evidence indicated that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and unhealthy foods in childhood may increase body mass index (BMI)/BMI z-score, % body fat or odds of overweight/obesity (low certainty of evidence). Artificially-sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juice consumption may make little/no difference to BMI, % body fat or overweight/obesity outcomes (low certainty of evidence). Meta-analyses of a subset of studies indicated a positive association between SSB intake and % body fat, but no association with change in BMI and BMI z-score. High-quality epidemiological studies that are designed to assess the effects of unhealthy food consumption during childhood on risk of overweight/obesity are needed to contribute to a more robust evidence base upon which to design policy recommendations. This protocol was registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42020218109.
2.
Obesity: tackling the causes of the causes
The BMJ Opinion provides comment and opinion written by The British Medical Journal's international community of readers, authors, and editors.
2021
Abstract
This article analyses the responsibility of society systems’ structures towards the obesity epidemic - and how strongly a shift in the government responses is required to tackle this issue. Our “obesogenic” environments hinder the population from accessing healthy lifestyle and dietary patterns, while portraying obesity as an individual’s lack of personal willpower. By challenging the current views on obesity, this article proposes that new policies must be created to eliminate inequalities and to provide long-term solutions to the root causes of obesity, deeply entrenched across all aspects of society.
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Tim Spector: Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Food Is Wrong
Rangan Chatterjee is a medical doctor with over 16 years experience who takes a 360° approach to health by focussing on 4 pillars of health: Food, Movement, Sleep and Relaxation. He is the founder and host of the Feel Better, Live More Podcast.
2021
Abstract
Tim Spector, is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Head of the Department of Twin Research at King’s College London. He’s a leading expert on the gut microbiome whose work has transformed what we know about nutrition and health. In this episode, Tim and Rangan cover topics such as calorie counting, artificial sweeteners, the dangers of ultra-processed foods and how poor science lets the food industry maintain that its products are healthy, simply because they’ve not been proven to be harmful. The benefits of fasting are also discussed, along with the need of introducing nutrition in the school curriculums. All the myths that the diet industry perpetuates with regards to the need of overeating (junk foods) need to be debunked, and this can only happen throughout education.