Frequency of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and its Contribution to Daily Energy and Macronutrient Intake in Young Adults

Abstract

Obesity is a major public health problem today and is increasingly prevalent among young adults. Frequent and excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) contributes to the development of obesity and other related health problems. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the frequency of UPF consumption and its contribution to daily energy and macronutrient intake in young adults. Data were collected through an online survey, which included socio-demographic characteristics and food frequency questionnaires in accordance with the UPF classification in the literature. The contribution of UPF consumption to daily energy and macronutrient intake was calculated based on food consumption frequency. This study included 225 young adults (61.3% female and 38.7% male). The average body mass index (BMI) of participants was 24.5±4.57 kg/m2. The proportion of participants consuming sugary carbonated beverages ≥1 time/week was 32.6% among normal-weight participants and 48.8% among overweight/obese participants (p=0.016). Insignificant differences were found in frequently consumed UPFs such as sucuk, cream cheese, bakery products, mayonnaise, chocolate spread, candy, and chocolate by BMI (p>0.05). Energy (rho=0.19, p=0.004), protein (rho=0.17, p=0.011), fat (rho=0.20, p=0.003), carbohydrate (rho=0.18, p=0.006), saturated fatty acids (rho=0.22, p=0.001), and cholesterol (rho=0.20, p=0.003) intakes from UPFs were weakly and positively correlated with BMI. In conclusion, UPFs contributed approximately 30% of total daily energy intakes among young adults, while sugary carbonated beverage consumption and saturated fatty acid intake from UPFs were higher among overweight/obese participants. Developing healthy eating habits among young adults is crucial for preventing obesity and other chronic diseases today and in the future.