A new study from the University of Toronto suggests that a diet high in ultra-processed foods during preschool years may increase the risk of overweight or obesity by kindergarten age. Canadian children who consumed more ultra-processed foods at age three were more likely to exhibit signs of overweight or obesity by age five.
Feb. 3, 2025 – During the two quick years when a child is considered a preschooler, a diet high in ultraprocessed foods may put them at risk of developing overweight or obesity by the time they start kindergarten.
Three-year-olds in Canada who ate more ultraprocessed foods than their peers were more likely to have weight-height combinations or skin-fold thickness measurements that are signs of overweight or obesity by age 5.applies to obvious items like soda and chips, but some parents may be surprised to learn that the category also includes such things as flavored
“We saw that ultra-processed foods contributed to almost half of a child’s total daily energy intake,” said Kozeta Miliku, MD, PhD, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, according to aFor the study, ultraprocessed foods were defined as being industrially produced and containing ingredients like emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors.
The team analyzed data about what 2,217 Canadian 3-year-olds ate – according to their caregivers – and linked that information to the children’s height, weight, waist circumference, and skinfold thickness measurements that were taken when the kids were 5 years old. On average, the 3-year-olds ate 1,518 calories per day, although the range among children was 1,239 to 1,858 per day. The study wasn’t able to establish what happens in a child’s body that may link ultraprocessed food intake to an increased risk of obesity or overweight.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS DIET NUTRITION PUBLIC HEALTH
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