Trends in consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in Sweden between 1960 and 2010
Juul F, Hemmingsson E
Public health nutrition · 156 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2015-03-25 · Public Health Nutr · vol. 18 · issue 17 · pp. 3096–3107
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Cited
- 255 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 19.6× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 81 works
- Access
- Free to read
- Research areas
- Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Nutrition, Genetics, and Disease · Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Keywords
- Per capita, Obesity, Consumption (sociology), Food processing, Environmental health, Nutrition transition, Food group, Food consumption, Food science, Food products, Agriculture, Medicine, Processed meat, Agricultural economics, Geography, Agricultural science, Overweight, Population, Environmental science, Economics, Biology
- MeSH
- humans, obesity, body mass index, diet, nutrition surveys, prevalence, patient compliance, health transition, nutrition policy, food handling, carbonated beverages, candy, adolescent, adult, aged, middle aged, sweden, female, male, overweight, young adult, fast foods, snacks
2 authors
From SE
- Filippa JuulKarolinska University Hospital
- Erik Hemmingsson · correspondingKarolinska University Hospital
Abstract
Objective
To investigate how consumption of ultra-processed foods has changed in Sweden in relation to obesity.
Design
Nationwide ecological analysis of changes in processed foods along with corresponding changes in obesity. Trends in per capita food consumption during 1960-2010 were investigated using data from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Food items were classified as group 1 (unprocessed/minimally processed), group 2 (processed culinary ingredients) or group 3 (3·1, processed food products; and 3·2, ultra-processed products). Obesity prevalence data were pooled from the peer-reviewed literature, Statistics Sweden and the WHO Global Health Observatory.
Setting
Nationwide analysis in Sweden, 1960-2010.
Subjects
Swedish nationals aged 18 years and older.
Results
During the study period consumption of group 1 foods (minimal processing) decreased by 2 %, while consumption of group 2 foods (processed ingredients) decreased by 34 %. Consumption of group 3·1 foods (processed food products) increased by 116 % and group 3·2 foods (ultra-processed products) increased by 142 %. Among ultra-processed products, there were particularly large increases in soda (315 %; 22 v. 92 litres/capita per annum) and snack foods such as crisps and candies (367 %; 7 v. 34 kg/capita per annum). In parallel to these changes in ultra-processed products, rates of adult obesity increased from 5 % in 1980 to over 11 % in 2010.
Conclusions
The consumption of ultra-processed products (i.e. foods with low nutritional value but high energy density) has increased dramatically in Sweden since 1960, which mirrors the increased prevalence of obesity. Future research should clarify the potential causal role of ultra-processed products in weight gain and obesity.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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