Nutrition transition's latest stage: Are ultra‐processed food increases in low‐ and middle‐income countries dooming our preschoolers' diets and future health?
Authors' conclusion
There is an urgent need to address the rapid increases in UPF consumption among infants and toddlers. Options include expanding the WHO Code on marketing to protect 0-3-year-olds; creating front-of-package warning labels focusing on products for children ages 0-3 years to remove all added sugar and limit sodium in foods and beverages they consume.
Study context
- Population
- Infants, toddlers, preschool-aged children and mothers in LMIC
- Outcome
- Trends in stunting, overweight/obesity and UPF consumption
Methodological detailsData from Demographic and Health Surveys, other national surveys, NCD-RisC data and Euromonitor sales data
- Data from Demographic and Health Surveys, other national surveys, NCD-RisC data and Euromonitor sales data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Overweight/obesity prevalence among children and mothers increasing rapidly while stunting rates decline slowly
- Significant increase in UPF consumption, especially among preschool-aged children
- Poorer households increasingly experiencing faster increases in overweight and obesity prevalence than wealthier households
- Early socialization of infants and toddlers to unhealthy discretionary foods including ultra-processed foods (UPFs)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Nutrition transition's latest stage: Are ultra‐processed food increases in low‐ and middle‐income countries dooming our preschoolers' diets and future health? Pediatr Obes. Published 26 February 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →