Novel Intervention Successfully Cuts Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Enhances Health Outcomes
Most dietary programs are geared towards helping individuals achieve weight loss or comply with U.S. nutrition guidelines, which currently do not address ultra-processed foods (UPFs). UPFs—think chips or candy—are mass-produced, packaged items that contain minimal natural ingredients. Eating a diet high in UPFs has been strongly linked to an increased risk of diseases and premature death.
Given the lack of focus on reducing UPF intake in most existing programs, researchers from Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences designed an intervention that aimed to tackle the unique challenges posed by these foods. The program incorporated a range of strategies targeting aspects such as addiction-inducing engineering within UPFs. Alongside education about UPFs and their harmful effects, the initiative included mindfulness and acceptance-based methods to help participants manage cravings; one-on-one meal planning sessions; involvement from household members in improving home food environments; and financial assistance for purchasing healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Recently published in Obesity & Science Practice, researchers tested a two-month intervention with 14 adults who had overweight or obesity and consumed UPFs regularly (two items per day). On average, participants successfully reduced their UPF intake by nearly half. The difficulty of reducing UPF consumption stems from the food industry’s efforts to keep us hooked on these products through making them ultra-delicious, convenient, affordable, and constantly present in our daily environment—be it directly or through marketing via media.
Charlotte Hagerman, PhD, lead author and assistant research professor at Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, noted that although the sample size was small, the results were very promising. By program’s end, participants had reduced their UPF intake by nearly half—both in terms of calories from UPFs and total number consumed—and also decreased calorie consumption on average by over 600 per day. Additionally, sugar consumption fell by 50%, saturated fat intake dropped by 37%, and sodium intake decreased by 28%. Participants reported an average weight loss of approximately 7.7 pounds.
Interestingly, there was no significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption among participants. This suggests that to improve dietary intake more comprehensively, we may need stronger encouragement for people to eat these foods, according to Hagerman.
The research team highlighted that participants had overwhelmingly positive feedback about the intervention and were enthusiastic about the benefits they noticed. Many reported improvements in their mood and energy levels during interviews.
During the two-month intervention, 14 participants worked with health behavior change experts at weekly group sessions which included individual meetings, discussions, and activities. Participants received education on identifying UPFs and understanding their harmful effects; learned acceptance-based strategies to cope with cravings when reducing UPF intake; were educated about the importance of household food environments in decreasing UPF consumption; had individual meal-planning sessions; and received financial support via a $100 grocery store gift card.
To assess dietary intake, participants used the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA-24), reporting everything they ate over the past 24 hours. Before and after the intervention, participants reported their eating habits for two weekdays and one weekend day to account for differences in consumption patterns during weekends. The tool automatically identified servings from specific food groups, macronutrient intake, and calorie intake to help identify trends.
A member of the research team categorized each entry as UPF or not, consulting with a UPF expert on ambiguous cases. Researchers remained unaware of whether entries were before or after the intervention to maintain objectivity in coding. The data allowed the team to determine significant changes in participants’ UPF intake, sodium levels, added sugar consumption, saturated fat intake, weight, and fruit/vegetable consumption.
“The findings suggest that people can reduce their ultra-processed food intake with proper tools,” Hagerman said. “They also indicate that interventions designed for this purpose will lead to meaningful health improvements like weight loss and better mood in as little as eight weeks.”
The research team plans to continue testing the intervention on a larger sample, examine the efficacy of individual components within it, and test its impact on different populations.
