The association of highly processed food consumption with food choice values and food literacy in Japanese adults: a nationwide cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Highly processed food (HPF) consumption is increasing globally and has become a prominent public health concern. However, the relationship between HPF consumption and food choice values and food literacy is unknown. This study aimed to examine the association of HPF consumption with food choice values and food literacy.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used data from a nationwide questionnaire survey conducted in 2018 among 2232 Japanese adults aged 18-80 years. We assessed eight food choice values (accessibility, convenience, health/weight control, tradition, sensory appeal, organic, comfort, and safety) using a 25-item scale, and food literacy characterised by nutrition knowledge (using a validated 143-item questionnaire), cooking and food skills (using 14- and 19-item scales, respectively), and eight eating behaviours (hunger, food responsiveness, emotional overeating, enjoyment of food, satiety responsiveness, emotional undereating, food fussiness, and slowness in eating, using the 35-item Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire). HPF consumption was estimated using a validated brief diet history questionnaire. The associations between HPF consumption and age, body mass index, energy intake, and each score on food choice values and food literacy were evaluated by multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

In males, one standard deviation increase in scores for cooking skill and satiety responsiveness was associated with an increase in HPF consumption by 22.1 g/4184 kJ (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.6 to 37.5) and 15.4 g/4184 kJ (95% CI: 6.0 to 24.7), respectively. In females, one standard deviation increase in age and scores for safety and nutrition knowledge corresponded to a decrease in HPF consumption by - 16.4 g/4184 kJ (95% CI: - 23.4 to - 9.3), - 9.9 g/4184 kJ (95% CI: - 19.1 to - 0.7), and - 11.1 g/4184 kJ (95% CI: - 17.0 to - 5.3), whereas one standard deviation increase in the satiety responsiveness score corresponded to an increase in HPF consumption by 13.1 g/4184 kJ (95% CI: 6.8 to 19.4).

CONCLUSIONS

This cross-sectional study suggests that several aspects of food choice values and food literacy were associated with HPF consumption in Japanese adults. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings in a broader context.

Consumption of highly processed foods in relation to overall diet quality among Japanese adults: a nationwide study

OBJECTIVE

To (i) examine the consumption of highly processed foods (HPF) in relation to diet quality among Japanese adults and (ii) compare the results when dishes prepared away home are disaggregated into food ingredients before classification by processing levels and the results when they are not.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis using 4-day dietary record data. Foods were categorised by level of processing using the framework developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Specifically, dishes prepared away from home were classified at both the food level (classified after disaggregation into ingredients) and dish level (classified without disaggregation). Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9·3.

SETTING

Twenty areas in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults aged 20-69 years (n 388).

RESULTS

Energy contribution of HPF was higher when dishes prepared away from home were classified at dish level than food level (48·3 % v. 32·9 %, P < 0·0001). Regardless of the classification method, cereals and starchy foods were the top food groups contributing to total energy intake from HPF. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in higher tertiles of the energy contribution of HPF had lower total scores for Healthy Eating Index-2015 and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9·3 (P for trend ≤ 0·007 for all), irrespective of the food- or dish-level classification.

CONCLUSIONS

HPF accounted for at least one-third of energy intake of Japanese adults. Regardless of the classification methods for dishes prepared away from home, higher consumption of HPF was associated with lower diet quality.

Highly processed food intake and immediate and future emotions in everyday life

Increased consumption of highly processed foods may result in lower diet quality, and low diet quality is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. One mechanism driving highly processed food intake is the expectation that eating these foods will improve emotional experiences, particularly in individuals with elevated "highly processed food addiction" symptoms. However, experimental findings about the emotional experiences following highly processed food intake are mixed. Furthermore, prior studies have generally failed to capture the potentially prolonged emotional effects of eating highly processed foods and not tested for individual differences. The present study was a preregistered archival data analysis of an ambulatory electronic diary study that captured real-life emotions following highly processed food intake. Multilevel modeling was used to predict the effects of highly processed food intake on subsequent positive and negative emotions immediately, 1 h, and 3 h after consumption. Intake of sweet high-fat foods, fast foods, and non-alcoholic sugary drinks was associated with greater positive emotions immediately after eating, and sweet high-fat food intake remained associated with greater positive emotions 1 h later. Sweet high-fat food and non-alcoholic sugary drink intake were associated with fewer negative emotions 1 h after consumption, and the negative association between non-alcoholic sugary drink intake and negative emotions was stronger for those with elevated highly processed food addiction symptoms. Overall, results suggest that highly processed food intake results in small alterations in positive and negative emotions immediately and up to 1 h after intake; however, these do not persist through 3 h after intake. The ability of highly processed foods to briefly alter emotions may be key to their reinforcing nature.

The Effect of Food Composition and Behavior on Neurobiological Response to Food: a Review of Recent Research

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Controversy surrounds the construct of food addiction. The current review examines neurobiological evidence for the existence of food addiction as a valid diagnosis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent neuroimaging studies suggest significant overlap in the areas of the brain that are activated in relation to both food and drug addiction. Specifically, areas of the brain implicated in executive functioning (e.g., attention, planning, decision-making, inhibition), pleasure and the experience of reward, and sensory input and motor functioning display increased activation among individuals with symptoms of both food and drug addiction. Proposed symptoms of food addiction mirror those comprising other substance use disorder diagnoses, with similar psychological and behavioral sequelae. Results of neuroimaging studies suggest significant overlap in the areas of the brain that are activated in relation to both food and drug addiction, providing support for continued research into the construct of food addiction.

Taxing highly processed foods: What could be the impacts on obesity and underweight in sub-Saharan Africa?

The consumption of highly processed food has been singled out as one of the factors responsible for the rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity and its associated non-communicable diseases and costs. While obesity prevalence is still comparatively low in lower-income sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), development prospects in this region render markets especially attractive for these foods, whose consumption is already growing at higher rates than in developed countries. This might be reflected in the massive rise in obesity prevalence growth rates in SSA over the past decade, while many of these countries are simultaneously struggling with high undernutrition prevalence. Using a newly constructed cross-country panel dataset, this study econometrically investigates the effect of higher import tariffs on highly processed vis-à-vis less-processed foods with respect to their impacts on obesity and underweight prevalence in the adult population. While the analysis is global, the discussion focuses primarily on SSA. The effects of the tariff differences are found to be significant and substantial and to differ by income level of the country as well as by gender. More generally, the results show that policies affecting the consumer price differential between the two food groups are effective in influencing obesity and underweight prevalence and that these two issues cannot be treated separately.