Vallianou Natalia G, Kounatidis Dimitris, Tzivaki Ilektra, Zafeiri Georgia Chrysi Michalaki, Rigatou Anastasia, Daskalopoulou Stavroula, Stratigou Theodora, Karampela Irene, Dalamaga Maria
Sismanogleio General Hospital, 37 Sismanogliou Str., 15126, Athens, Greece.
Diabetes Center, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece.
Curr Nutr Rep. 2025 Jan 3;14(1):5. doi: 10.1007/s13668-024-00596-y.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) represent foods that have undergone substantial industrial processing, such as the addition of preservatives and various other ingredients, thereby making them more tasty, appealing and easy to consume. UPFs are often rich in sugars, saturated fats and salt, while they are low in essential nutrients.The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between the widespread consumption of UPFs and the development of obesity among children and adolescents. Our goal is to further elucidate the potentially devastating outcomes of increased consumption of UPFs in children in terms of adipose indices and metabolic features.
The widespread consumption of UPFs in children has been associated with abnormal metabolic parameters, such as increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglyceride levels, along with increased fasting plasma glucose and insulin resistance. Factors such as lower family socioeconomic status, lower parental educational status, religious preferences, lower costs and widespread availability of UPFs, as well as extensive advertising, all seem to be involved in a vicious cycle promoting overconsumption of UPFs. As UPFs and childhood obesity are interconnected, it is of the utmost importance to implement potential preventive interventions in order to promote public health and decrease the incidence of the obesity tide among children and adolescents.
超加工食品（UPFs）是指经过大量工业加工的食品，例如添加了防腐剂和各种其他成分，从而使其更美味、更具吸引力且易于食用。超加工食品通常富含糖、饱和脂肪和盐，而必需营养素含量较低。本综述的目的是研究儿童和青少年中超加工食品的广泛消费与肥胖症发展之间的关系。我们的目标是进一步阐明儿童中超加工食品消费增加在脂肪指数和代谢特征方面可能产生的破坏性后果。
儿童中超加工食品的广泛消费与异常的代谢参数有关，如体重指数（BMI）和腰围（WC）增加、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）和甘油三酯水平升高，以及空腹血糖和胰岛素抵抗增加。家庭社会经济地位较低、父母教育程度较低、宗教偏好、超加工食品成本较低且供应广泛，以及广泛的广告宣传等因素，似乎都参与到了一个促进超加工食品过度消费的恶性循环中。由于超加工食品与儿童肥胖相互关联，实施潜在的预防干预措施对于促进公众健康和降低儿童及青少年肥胖潮的发生率至关重要。
