You Are What You Eat – Especially When It’s Ultra Processed
Bottom Line: If the old saying, “you are what you eat” still applies – we're an ultra-processed society. A recent study of what we eat has shown that 70% of the American diet now consists of “ultra-processed” foods accounting for over half of all of the calories we consume. It’s perhaps for that reason that the US obesity rate has continued to rise reaching a record level of 41.9% most recently according to the CDC. But here’s the thing. While ultra-processed, or highly manipulated foods, are now the majority of the foods we eat...the types of ultra processed foods we eat aren’t the same.
A new study published in the medial journal Nutrition & Metabolism shows that the source of our ultra-processed foods may be the biggest contributing factor to weight gain/loss. We’ve long known that working fruits and veggies into our diet is a net positive. In the world of ultra-processed foods, it’s become that much more important.
A summation from a lead researcher from the study concluded this: Filling your plate with plant-based foods—even if they are considered ultra-processed like soy milk and vegan meat and yogurt alternatives—instead of animal products can have a positive impact on your weight and overall health.
In the study, 244 overweight adults were split into two control groups. Those who ate a typical diet (with mostly ultra-processed foods) and those who ate a plant-based diet (with mostly ultra-processed foods). At the end of the 16-week study those with a typical diet maintained their weight. Those with the plant-based diet dropped an average of 13 pounds leading to these three conclusions:
The biggest weight loss predictors were:
- Eating less processed animal foods (like smoked fish)
- Cutting back on unprocessed animal foods (like milk, beef, and eggs)
- Reducing ultra-processed animal foods (like cheese, fried chicken, and sausage)
The study showed that even if a diet isn’t particularly healthy, as ultra-processed foods often lack good nutritional value, the original source of the food is the most important factor pertaining to weight gain or loss.