An alarm bell for the ones who keep chugging those sugary beverages and all things processed. As per the recent findings of the study, published in British medical journal - The Lancet, India is second among the top five global markets for sugary beverage manufacturers. It further stated that the shift to ultra-processed foods has also led to a rise in double malnutrition, obesity and underweight in India. Due to the retail revolution, the overall consumption of sugary drinks increased, which also led to a downfall in nutrition levels. Previous studies have also revealed how too much of ultra-processed foods might be putting the health, especially heart health, to risk.
The report suggested several factors that contributed to this rise. Emergence of large and small food retailers replacing fresh markets, urbanisation, migration to cities, income growth, infrastructure improvements and trade liberalisation along with food items sold outside schools in several countries like India, together contributes to poor nutritional quality.
A study, by Zefeng Zhang from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, recently explained how eating too much of ultra-processed foods often displaces healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein that are rich in nutrients, which are strongly linked to good heart health.
Ultra-processed food such as soft drinks, packaged salty snacks, cookies and cakes are often high in salt, added sugars, saturated fat and other substances that are often strongly linked with obesity. In fact, refined sugar is mostly empty calories and excessive consumption of it may lead to increase in fat. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in a report, issued on the World Food Day, said eating food high in starch, sugar, fats and salt along with an inactive lifestyle is one of the major causes of increased rate of obesity, even in countries where many still suffer from hunger.
The Lancet's paper series also stated that these countries are expected to become major markets for sugary beverages in the next decade.