A new pilot study published in the journal Obesity Science and Practice has shown that a newly developed program may be effective for reducing dietary intake of ultra-process foods.
The study included 14 adult participants who completed an eight-week intervention program. The program included weekly group sessions to learn more about the harmful effects of ultra-processed foods and how to identify them. The program further included individual meal planning, education about cravings and the withdrawal process from ultra-processed foods, and a $100 grocery store gift card. Participants took surveys before and after the intervention that quantified and categorized everything they ate, which helped measure their intake of ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods can harm both heart health and overall health, and the goal of this study was to see whether a behavioral intervention could help reduce ultra-processed food intake.
The results showed that participants reduced their ultra-processed food intake by nearly half from the beginning to the end of the study, as measured by both total calorie intake and number of ultra-processed foods consumed. Participants also decreased their sugar consumption by 50%, decreased their saturated fat consumption by 37%, and decreased their sodium consumption by 28%. Overall, the participants lost an average of 7.7 pounds throughout the study.
The authors of the study noted that the participants were positive and enthusiastic about the intervention and the benefits they noticed. Several participants reported that they experienced improvements in their mood and energy levels due to the intervention. These results suggest that a relatively simple behavioral intervention has potential to significantly improve dietary intake regarding ultra-processed foods, and that this improvement could lead to benefits in weight, mood, heart health, and overall health.
Sources: Obesity Science and Practice, Science Daily
