Our obesogenic environment We Americans live in an obesogenic environment. Omnipresent ultra-processed food promotes overeating. In his latest provocative book, Animal, Vegetable, Junk, author Mark Bitmann chronicles the history of food and explains that the food industry created foods so tasty and pleasurable that we eat more than we need. As products of our evolution,…
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Ultra-Processed Foods and Depression
Depressive symptoms in a French cohort Recent studies have linked unhealthy dietary patterns to increased risks of chronic diseases, including obesity, hypertension, metabolic disorders, and cancer. High consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) also predicts increased risk of chronic diseases. European scientists used data from 26,730 participants in the French NutriNet-Sante cohort to determine if high…
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Carbohydrate Quality vs. Quantity
Shift your focus from carb quantity to quality Human populations have thrived eating widely disparate amounts of carbohydrates. Yet, the Western diet full of low-quality carbohydrates predicts greater risks of cardiometabolic diseases. Recent research suggests that the typical focus on carbohydrate quantity should shift to carbohydrate quality. For example, shift from low-quality carbs with high…
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Front-of-Package Food and Beverage Labels
Types of front-of-package labels A poor diet predicts increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. We Americans are constantly tempted by foods that have little or no nutritional value. Small labels on the front of food packages that present some aspect of food quality might help purchasers shift their buying to healthier items.…
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