Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity
Obesity and overweight are a major public health problem globally. Diet quality is critical for proper child development, and an unhealthy diet is a preventable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods (UPFs)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Children |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/5/804 |
| _version_ | 1797600666744520704 |
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| author | Valeria Calcaterra Hellas Cena Virginia Rossi Sara Santero Alice Bianchi Gianvincenzo Zuccotti |
| author_facet | Valeria Calcaterra Hellas Cena Virginia Rossi Sara Santero Alice Bianchi Gianvincenzo Zuccotti |
| author_sort | Valeria Calcaterra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Obesity and overweight are a major public health problem globally. Diet quality is critical for proper child development, and an unhealthy diet is a preventable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in childhood may increase the BMI/BMI z-score, body fat percentage, or likelihood of overweight. A strict feeding regulation system allows for sufficient food to be consumed to meet ongoing metabolic demands while avoiding overconsumption. This narrative review explores the issues of obesity and the regulation of food intake related to reward systems and UPF consumption. Nutrient composition alone cannot explain the influence of UPFs on the risk of obesity. Furthermore, the non-nutritional properties of UPFs may explain the mechanisms underlying the relationship with obesity and NCDs. UPFs are designed to be highly palatable, appealing, and energy dense with a unique combination of the main taste enhancer ingredients to generate a strong rewarding stimulus and influence the circuits related to feeding facilitation. How individual UPF ingredients influence eating behavior and reward processes remains not fully elucidated. To increase the knowledge on the relationship between UPFs and pediatric obesity, it may be useful to limit the rapid growth in the prevalence of obesity and subsequent related complications, and to develop new strategies for appropriate food and nutrition policies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:51:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c151cbd341cc478f8a2a543678444fdb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:51:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-c151cbd341cc478f8a2a543678444fdb2023-11-18T00:55:09ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672023-04-0110580410.3390/children10050804Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood ObesityValeria Calcaterra0Hellas Cena1Virginia Rossi2Sara Santero3Alice Bianchi4Gianvincenzo Zuccotti5Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyLaboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyPediatric Department, Buzzi Children’s Hospital, 20154 Milano, ItalyLaboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, ItalyPediatric Department, Buzzi Children’s Hospital, 20154 Milano, ItalyPediatric Department, Buzzi Children’s Hospital, 20154 Milano, ItalyObesity and overweight are a major public health problem globally. Diet quality is critical for proper child development, and an unhealthy diet is a preventable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in childhood may increase the BMI/BMI z-score, body fat percentage, or likelihood of overweight. A strict feeding regulation system allows for sufficient food to be consumed to meet ongoing metabolic demands while avoiding overconsumption. This narrative review explores the issues of obesity and the regulation of food intake related to reward systems and UPF consumption. Nutrient composition alone cannot explain the influence of UPFs on the risk of obesity. Furthermore, the non-nutritional properties of UPFs may explain the mechanisms underlying the relationship with obesity and NCDs. UPFs are designed to be highly palatable, appealing, and energy dense with a unique combination of the main taste enhancer ingredients to generate a strong rewarding stimulus and influence the circuits related to feeding facilitation. How individual UPF ingredients influence eating behavior and reward processes remains not fully elucidated. To increase the knowledge on the relationship between UPFs and pediatric obesity, it may be useful to limit the rapid growth in the prevalence of obesity and subsequent related complications, and to develop new strategies for appropriate food and nutrition policies.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/5/804obesityadolescentschildrenultra-processed foodnutrients intakeunhealthy dietary pattern |
| spellingShingle | Valeria Calcaterra Hellas Cena Virginia Rossi Sara Santero Alice Bianchi Gianvincenzo Zuccotti Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity Children obesity adolescents children ultra-processed food nutrients intake unhealthy dietary pattern |
| title | Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity |
| title_full | Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity |
| title_fullStr | Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity |
| title_short | Ultra-Processed Food, Reward System and Childhood Obesity |
| title_sort | ultra processed food reward system and childhood obesity |
| topic | obesity adolescents children ultra-processed food nutrients intake unhealthy dietary pattern |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/10/5/804 |
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