Higher Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods Is Associated with Disordered Eating Symptoms and Low-Quality Diet in Adults with Obesity

Scout Impact

This study confirms that ultra-processed foods are linked to disordered eating symptoms and poor diet quality in adults with obesity. Specifically, higher consumption of these foods correlates with increased binge eating, bulimia symptoms, and emotional eating. Scout penalizes ultra-processed foods due to their clear negative impact on diet quality and eating behaviors in this population.

Key Findings

• Finding 1: The third tertile of ultra-processed food consumers had a significantly lower diet quality score (37 ± 10) compared to other groups (p = 0.001; p = 0.003).
• Finding 2: The third tertile exhibited higher BITE scores indicating more severe disordered eating symptoms than the first tertile (p = 0.008).
• Finding 3: Ultra-processed food consumption was positively associated with binge eating and bulimia symptoms (p = 0.018).
• Finding 4: Emotional and external eating were significantly associated with ultra-processed food consumption (p = 0.001 for both).
• Finding 5: The study sample had an average BMI of 39.14 kg/m² ± 5.57, indicating severe obesity.

Limitations

• Limitation 1: The cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causation between ultra-processed food consumption and disordered eating behaviors.
• Limitation 2: The study's small sample size (n=77) and specific population (adults with obesity from São Paulo) may limit the generalizability of the findings.