Study analyses intake of ultra-processed foods among South Asian countries
Researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK, the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in Chennai, and institutes in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka looked at the relation between consuming ultra-processed foods and sociodemographic factors of participants.
The findings, published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal, also show that 41 per cent of participants from south India and Pakistan reported having consumed ultra-processed foods in the 24 hours prior to being surveyed.
These foods involve extensive industrial processing and additives such as added sugars, and are known to heighten risk of obesity, metabolic and cardiovascular conditions.
Data of over 60,700 adults living in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India were analysed.
The participants were recruited for the South Asia Biobank, a UK-based long-term study designed to understand reasons contributing to the high risk of life threatening conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity among South Asians.
Across the four regions studied, ultra-processed foods were found to account for 13-17 per cent of one's total energy intake, with biscuits being a common source.
Other commonly consumed foods included sweetened beverages in Pakistan, packaged salty snacks in south India, and breakfast cereals in Bangladesh, the study found.
Further, younger age was a factor linked with consuming ultra-processed foods in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and older age in Bangladesh and north India -- and women across most regions were more likely to consume these foods.
Consumption also was found to be lower among married people or those living together across the regions studied, compared to those who were single.
The researchers said a 2023 study that examined the link between consuming ultra-processed foods and sociodemographic factors analysed data from 32 countries, but "revealed a significant evidence gap with no studies conducted in South Asian countries".
"This is the first study to assess the sociodemographic correlates of (ultra-processed foods) consumption in South Asia, using individual-level dietary recall data in a large population-based study of South Asian adults," according to the study. "In Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and North India, (nearly) 75 per cent of participants reported consuming (ultra-processed foods) during the previous day, versus 41 per cent in south India and Pakistan," it said.
They added that the study's results provide valuable insights for developing targeted interventions.
The South Asia Biobank is based at Imperial College London and funded by the UK's National Institute for Health Research.
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