Preschoolers get nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods, study says
Written by The Canadian Press on January 31, 2025
TORONTO — A new study says Canadian preschoolers are getting nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods and it’s putting them at risk of obesity.
The study from the University of Toronto’s Temerty faculty of medicine found that three-year-olds are getting 45 per cent of their daily energy from ultra-processed foods, which include sweetened breakfast cereals, frozen meals, fast food and soft drinks.
Researchers found that eating ultra-processed foods at age three is linked to higher body fat and obesity risk at age five, especially among boys.
The study followed 2,200 children in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Manitoba between 2011 and 2018, and was published today in JAMA Network Open.
The authors say Canada is among the world’s top consumers of ultra-processed foods, and they found nearly 20 per cent of the children they followed were overweight or obese by age five.
They say their results could support public health policies, including front-of-package labelling regulations and measures to improve access to whole foods.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2025.
The Canadian Press