Fresh Intervention Successfully Cuts Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Enhances Health Benefits
Most dietary programs are geared towards helping individuals achieve weight loss or adhere to U.S. nutrition guidelines, which do not currently address ultra-processed foods (UPFs). UPFs, such as chips and candy, are mass-produced packaged products that contain minimal amounts of naturally occurring food components. Research indicates a strong link between eating UPFs and an increased risk of various diseases and premature death.
However, the majority of existing programs do not specifically target reducing UPF consumption. To address this gap, researchers from Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences developed an intervention that employs multiple strategies to tackle the unique challenges posed by UPFs, including their engineered addictive properties.
The program encompasses various elements such as education about UPFs and their adverse effects; mindfulness and acceptance-based techniques to help participants manage cravings; one-on-one meal planning sessions; a focus on improving home food environments by involving household members in the intervention process; and financial assistance to facilitate the purchase of healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, which can be relatively expensive.
Results from their study, recently published in Obesity and Science Practice, demonstrate promising outcomes. The researchers conducted a two-month intervention with 14 adults who were overweight or obese and consumed UPFs regularly (about two items per day). Participants successfully reduced their UPF intake by almost half on average.
The difficulty of reducing UPF consumption stems from the food industry’s efforts to keep us hooked on these products. The industry designs UPFs to be exceptionally delicious, convenient, cheap, and omnipresent in the U.S., even when not directly visible; they can be seen on our TVs, phones, and roadside signs.
Charlotte Hagerman, PhD, lead author and assistant research professor at Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences highlighted that although the study sample was small, its results were highly promising. Participants decreased their UPF intake by nearly half both in terms of calories from UPFs and total number consumed. They also reduced daily calorie consumption by over 600 calories on average.
In addition, sugar consumption declined by 50%, saturated fat intake decreased by 37%, and sodium consumption fell by 28%. Participants reported losing an average weight of approximately 7.7 pounds during the intervention period.
Interestingly, there was no significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption among participants, suggesting that more targeted encouragement for these food groups may be necessary to improve dietary intake holistically.
The research team also noted that participants had overwhelmingly positive feedback about the intervention and were enthusiastic about its benefits. Many reported improvements in mood and energy levels during their 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 for coping with cravings and withdrawal associated with reducing UPF intake; understood the importance of a household food environment in decreasing UPF consumption.
Participants also had individual meal planning sessions along with financial support provided as 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 twice before and once after the intervention.
A member of the research team categorized each entry as UPF or not and consulted with a UPF expert to confirm ambiguous cases. Researchers were unaware of whether entries came from before or after the intervention, aiming to avoid any bias in coding.
The data indicated that participants had significant changes in their UPF intake, sodium consumption, added sugar, saturated fat levels, weight loss, and fruit/vegetable consumption over the eight-week period.
“The findings suggest people can indeed reduce their ultra-processed food intake when provided with appropriate tools,” said Hagerman. “Furthermore, these interventions designed for this purpose appear to generate enthusiasm among participants and lead to meaningful health improvements such as weight loss and better mood in just a short time frame.”
The research team plans to continue testing the intervention on larger samples, examining the efficacy of individual components within it, and exploring its applicability across different populations.
