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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #420491
Research Project: Approaches to Dietary and Physical Activity Guidelines Adherence

Location: Healthy Body Weight Research

Title: Building healthy dietary patterns with ultra-processed foods

Author
item Hess, Julie

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2025
Publication Date: 2/19/2025
Citation: Hess, J.M. 2025. Building healthy dietary patterns with ultra-processed foods.Dietitian Connection Webinar, February 19, 2025, Virtual. abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have emerged as a potential area of concern for healthy diets with many scientific and consumer articles highlighting associations between UPF consumption and adverse health consequences. Even the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Scientific Advisory Committee is investigating the question about the relationship between consuming a dietary pattern with varying amounts of UPFs and growth, body composition, and risk of obesity. Yet, any relationship between UPF consumption and health outcomes is complicated by inconsistent definitions of UPFs as well as inconsistent application of these definitions. A strict application of the most widely used definition of UPFs includes many nutrient-dense foods in the UPF category. This talk provides an overview of the current status of research on UPFs, including work conducted by USDA-ARS that showcases the role of UPFs in healthy dietary patterns recommended by the DGA.