A domestic study has identified for the first time that the consumption of ultra-processed foods such as carbonated drinks, snacks, fast food, and instant foods increases the risk of metabolic abnormalities in obese children and adolescents.

The Endocrine and Kidney Disease Research Division of the National Institute of Health, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, announced on the 12th the results of an analysis on the association between ultra-processed food intake and metabolic abnormalities among 149 overweight or obese children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile.

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Ultra-processed foods refer to foods that contain substances extracted or synthesized from foods through industrial processes to enhance preservation, taste, and convenience. During processing, these foods tend to contain high levels of sugar, processed fats, and salt, but are deficient in nutrients such as vitamins and fiber. In Korea, the consumption of ultra-processed foods increased steadily from 23.1% between 2010 and 2012 to 26.1% between 2016 and 2018.

The research team categorized ultra-processed food intake into three groups according to the NOVA classification system: low (lowest third), medium (middle third), and high (highest third), and compared the risk of metabolic diseases among the groups, using the lowest group as a reference.

Obese children and adolescents consumed ultra-processed foods for 20.4% of their daily food intake and 25.6% of their daily energy intake (median values). In the highest intake group, ultra-processed foods accounted for 38.0% of daily food intake and 44.8% of daily energy intake.

As a result, the group with the highest intake level of ultra-processed foods showed a 1.75 times higher risk of fatty liver compared to the group with the lowest intake, and a 2.44 times higher risk of insulin resistance, a condition where blood insulin levels increase excessively due to poor blood sugar control. In particular, the risk of moderate to severe fatty liver, with liver fat exceeding 10%, was 4.19 times higher.

The study also found that for every 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet, the risk of developing moderate or more severe fatty liver disease increased by 1.37 times, and the risk of insulin resistance increased by 1.3 times. Among the obese children and adolescents who participated in the study, MRI scans showed that 83% had fatty liver, and 62.8% had insulin resistance, indicating a serious risk for fatty liver or type 2 diabetes.

Park Hyunyoung, Director of the National Institute of Health, advised, "To reduce the risk of metabolic diseases in obese children and adolescents, it is necessary to pay attention to the intake of ultra-processed foods," and added, "Efforts to reduce ultra-processed food consumption are needed at home and in childcare and educational facilities as well."

The results of this study were published online in the international journal 'Nutrients' in the field of nutrition and health on the 17th of last month.