Ultra-processed Foods, Quality or Quantity?

Ultra-processed Foods, Quality or Quantity?

Ultra-processed foods have been making headlines lately, and for good reasons. With many Americans struggling with obesity and related diseases, it's crucial to understand how these foods affect our health and what we can do about it.  One of the biggest questions surrounding this issue is: Is weight gain from ultra-processed foods a matter of quality or quantity?

While some believe that food quality is the primary culprit, research suggests that calorie quantity plays a more significant role. The tricky part is that ultra-processed foods are often designed to make us eat more of them, making it harder to control our calorie intake.

The Twinkie Diet: Calories In vs. Calories Out

Remember the Twinkie Diet? In 2010, nutrition professor Mark Haub lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks by eating only junk food like pizza, sugary cereals, and chocolate bars. Haub limited his caloric intake to 1,800 calories daily in the experiment, proving that calories matter most. Haub’s cholesterol and glucose levels also dropped, likely due to his weight loss.

Haub’s rigid discipline is virtually impossible to replicate in real life. Consuming such a mix of junk foods daily would lead to us eating more calories due to our brains reacting to the dopamine loop from these foods, which leads to us craving more.  Or we would be hungry and need to eat more after limited calories from non-satiating snacks. We would undoubtedly gain weight rather than lose weight after 10 weeks.

Why We Crave More Ultra-processed Foods

A carefully designed 2019 study by research scientist Kevin Hall showed that people ate about 500 more calories per day when allowed to eat ultra-processed foods than unprocessed options for a given period, even when the nutrients were matched. The participants in his study gained about two pounds on the ultra-processed diet in two weeks.  The higher calorie consumption is due to ultra-processed foods being engineered to be hyper-palatable, meaning they're loaded with processed sugar, carbohydrates, fat, and salt, triggering our brain's reward system and making us crave more. 

With the combination of Haub’s experiment of losing weight on junk food and Hall’s study showing increased calorie intake with ultra-processed foods, it seems clear that quantity rather than the quality of food is the most significant factor in weight gain or loss.  Importantly, this does not cast aside the notion that the quality of food nutrition matters over a more extended period.

Breaking the Cycle

We've all been there: We start munching on a bag of chips or cookies, and suddenly, half the bag is gone. The combination of hyper-palatability and dopamine release makes it incredibly hard to resist these foods. If we are mindful, we pause and put the bag out of reach before we polish it off. But, boy, is it hard sometimes.

So, how do we make healthier choices?

Mindful Snacking: Instead of reaching for that bag of chips, we can opt for a healthier snack like nuts, a yogurt and fruit combination, or a snack rich in protein or fiber.

Calorie Awareness: Tracking your calorie intake with an app can help you understand the impact of your food choices and make more informed decisions. Tracking our calories makes us more mindful of the math of weight gain or loss. Many apps allow us to eat whatever we want as long as we count the calories.

Obi Bar: Created as a Filling, Healthy Alternative

Obi Bar was created to be a delicious, healthy, and filling alternative to ultra-processed on-the-go meals. Crafted with all-natural ingredients, it provides a balanced blend of macronutrients and fiber to keep you full without the added sugars and artificial ingredients in many other bars.

Here's why Obi Bar is a great choice:

All-natural ingredients with no preservatives or artificial flavors.
Balanced nutrition through a combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Sustained energy to keep you feeling full and energized throughout your day.
Whether you're looking for a healthy meal bar to curb cravings or fuel your workouts, Obi Bar is an excellent solution.  It's a delicious and convenient way to support your health goals and break free from the cycle of ultra-processed foods.

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