Researchers at the University of Tokyo have conducted a pioneering study to quantify the impact of highly processed foods (HPFs) on diet quality among Japanese children and adolescents.
The study uncovered that HPFs constitute more than one-fourth of the total energy intake among young people, adversely affecting the consumption of nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, and pulses.
Moreover, the research highlighted a concerning trend: increased consumption of HPFs correlates with higher intake of confectioneries. These findings underscore the significant influence of highly processed foods on diet quality and public health, particularly among the youth, emphasizing the importance of addressing these factors to mitigate risks such as Type 2 diabetes.
Assistant Professor Nana Shinozaki from the School of Public Health at the University of Tokyo commented on the study’s significance: “Our previous research on HPF consumption in adults in Japan revealed a negative association with diet quality. This prompted us to investigate similar associations in younger generations.”
Shinozaki and her team conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1,318 participants aged 3-17 years to explore the association between HPF consumption and overall diet quality. The findings consistently showed that higher HPF consumption was linked to poorer diet quality across the studied age groups.
“This is the first time we have concrete data for this particular demographic,” Shinozaki noted, highlighting the study’s potential implications for advancing public health initiatives. She acknowledged the challenges in dietary research due to the lack of precise definitions in many areas.
To address these challenges, the research team utilized an established dietary classification framework from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, employing both the Healthy Eating Index-2020 and the Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3 to assess diet quality.
According to the UNCCH classification, HPFs are described as “multi-ingredient, industrially formulated mixtures processed to the extent that they are no longer recognizable as their original plant/animal source.”
Shinozaki elaborated on the methodological hurdles faced during the study: “The biggest challenge was collecting detailed dietary data on eight days spread over a year from a large sample of about 1,300 individuals. This required meticulous efforts from both participants and investigators to ensure accurate and consistent recording of dietary intake.”
The study challenges the perception of Japan’s national diet as uniformly healthy. Professor Kentaro Murakami from the University of Tokyo recently found that, in a nationally representative sample of Japanese adults, the mean total score of the Healthy Eating Index-2015 was comparable to that of average Americans, suggesting room for improvement in dietary habits.
“At the individual level, increasing the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods, particularly fresh fruits and vegetables, would be beneficial,” Shinozaki recommended. “At the societal level, initiatives such as public awareness campaigns, policy and regulatory changes, and improvements in food availability and marketing could promote the reduction of HPFs.”
She concluded by emphasizing the importance of ongoing efforts to develop nutritional guidelines and public health strategies aimed at reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases, underscoring the relevance of their findings in shaping future dietary policies and practices in Japan.