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New study on processed foods

1,836 Views | 11 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by P.U.T.U
bigtruckguy3500
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So, the conclusion of the study isn't particularly surprising, but it sounds like a reasonably well controlled cross-over study that shows that just eating better may be the key to keeping our waistlines from exploding.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/16/723693839/its-not-just-salt-sugar-fat-study-finds-ultra-processed-foods-drive-weight-gain

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(19)30248-7 (can access the PDF here as well)

It sounds like the study gave people access to about 5400 calories per day through their meals or snacks. The meals and snacks between the two arms were matched for macronutrients and calories, and it was up to the individual to eat as much or little of what they were given. Those on the processed arm ate about 500 calories per day more, and subsequently gained weight while the other arm lost weight.

While the study did match available calories/macros, those on the ultra-processed arm tended to eat more fat/carbs out of their available food more than they increased their protein intake. So can't quite draw a conclusion on IIFYM. Also, since they were allowed to eat differing amounts of calories, can't quite say if a calorie is a calorie no matter the source.
Kool
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AG
Thanks for posting. Well done study, one of the comments I found interesting related to the possibility that the highly processed foods were softer and easier to eat. This, obviously, would contribute to eating faster and eating greater quantities of food, while not allowing the satiety signals to kick in to tell the participant that they don't need to continue eating (total calories were not restricted in the study). Cliff notes: when you go to the grocery store, stay out of the center of the store except for toothpaste and toilet paper, and get all of your foods from the outside sections.
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Phat32
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AG
Whole 30 ftw
chimpanzee
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Eating 1000 calories of cookies versus 1000 calories of baked chicken is an entirely different experience.

Limiting calorie intake seems to have a lot to do with altering the satiety of what you eat and/or getting used to being hungrier. "Processed food" as is commonly understood, is very palatable and minimally satiating.
Frok
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AG
I'm a bit confused. I thought they said they set up the calories to match but then they said people ate more with the processed food. So the processed diet people ate more calories?

chimpanzee
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Frok said:

I'm a bit confused. I thought they said they set up the calories to match but then they said people ate more with the processed food. So the processed diet people ate more calories?



They were offered equivalent calories and macros, the unprocessed group just ate less of what they were offered. I wonder how much of that is because of the physical volume of food required to get to equivalent calories for typical "whole" foods.


Quote:

He says what was so impressive was that the NIH researchers documented this weight gain even though each meal offered on the two different diets contained the same total amount of calories, fats, protein, sugar, salt, carbohydrates and fiber. Study participants were allowed to eat as much or as little as they wanted but ended up eating way more of the ultra-processed meals, even though they didn't rate those meals as being tastier than the unprocessed meals.

If you made pizza, fries and cake out of "whole" ingredients (which you can, it's just more expensive and you have to make it yourself), and exposed another group to 5400 calories a day of that stuff, would they consume just as many calories as the "processed" group in this study? Making stuff fatty and sweet makes it go down easy, I think we already knew that, the after the fact subjective tastiness rating notwithstanding.

This study confirms a diet recommendation quip I read sometime back, it was something along the lines of: eat anything you want, but first eat X grams of lean protein, X cups of fresh vegetables, and drink X cups of water. Odds are you won't want to eat much else.
Frok
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AG
I see. Or maybe the healthy food just didn't taste very good.
Diggity
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AG
exactly. Processed snack foods are basically designed to be easy to digest and binge on. They don't end up being nearly as satiating as unprocessed alternatives.

Trying to gorge on 1,000 calories of baked potato vs. 1,000 calories of lays potato chips is a very different experience. Extreme example but it's amazing how quickly calories can add up with processed foods.
chimpanzee
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Frok said:

I see. Or maybe the healthy food just didn't taste very good.

It probably didn't. They claim that their survey indicates that there was no difference in perceived "tastiness", but I have a hard time believing that, or, if someone actually put in the work to make the "whole" foods as tasty as the processed group, you have an even less relevant experiment.

It takes hard work for anything to taste as good as sugar, salt, and fat in optimized proportions. Give me (a crappy chef by any measure) whole food ingredients and a couple of hours and I'll probably probably produce something that tastes like cardboard; give me fatty beef, Kraft Singles and Hawaiian rolls, and everyone will roll out of there holding their overstuffed gut.
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Kool
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AG
third coast.. said:

Beans and rice are in the center of the grocery store
Not the certified locally-grown, conflict-free, pesticide-free, vegan, fair trade, gluten-free, hormone-free, organic beans and rice.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Cancelled
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AG
third coast.. said:

Beans and rice are in the center of the grocery store


So are sardines.
P.U.T.U
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AG
That and people take the easy way instead of putting in the little extra work. Take 3 minutes to microwave a meal/fast food or take 20 minutes to put together a healthy meal
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