TORONTO — Canadian preschoolers are getting nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods and it's putting them at risk of obesity, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine found that nearly one in five of the children they followed was overweight or obese by age five.
The study says that Canada is among the top five countries for the sale of ultra-processed foods, which include sweetened breakfast cereals, frozen meals, fast food, soft drinks and candy.
Ultra-processed foods are “accessible, ready-to-consume and convenient food options,” the authors say, but they’re also “energy-dense and nutritionally imbalanced.”
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 researchers collected data about the children’s diets when they were three years old, and then took body measurements at age five.
They found that the three-year-olds were getting 45 per cent of their daily energy from ultra-processed foods. Moreover, high consumption of those foods at age three was linked to higher body fat and obesity risk at age five, especially among boys.
The authors suggest several possible links between ultra-processed foods and obesity, though they say the connection is not well understood. For one thing, people may just be eating too many calories when they opt for fast food and soft drinks. For another, many ultra-processed foods are “hyperpalatable,” the study says, “which may drive overconsumption.”
The researchers also say that some studies have linked emulsifiers and additives in ultra-processed foods to "altered gut microbiome."
Whatever the reason, the study points out that obesity rates are increasing along with the rise of ultra-processed food consumption. It cites statistics showing that 7.3 million Canadian adults were living with obesity in 2018, rising to 8.3 million — more than one in four adults — in 2020. One third of Canadian children and youths were living with obesity in 2023.
“Understanding obesity development in early life is crucial for designing interventions to prevent and reduce its burden,” the study says.
The authors say their results could support public health policies, including front-of-package labelling regulations and measures to improve access to whole foods.
“Promoting healthy food choices in early childhood can lead to better dietary patterns and improved long-term nutrient intake,” they say.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2025.
— By Maura Forrest in Montreal
The Canadian Press
