The excess body fat is a potential mediator between consumption of ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic risk in normal-weight Brazilian children.

ABSTRACT:

Background/objective

Studies indicate an association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and cardiometabolic risk; however, this relationship is still unclear in normal-weight children, and it is not yet known whether the Normal-Weight Obesity (NWO) phenotype may be a mediator between this relationship. We aimed to evaluate the mediating role of the NWO phenotype in the association of UPF consumption with cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out with 242 normal-weight children aged 8 to 9 y in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cardiometabolic risk was assessed as a latent variable using the following indicators: homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), leptin, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and waist

SUBMITTER: Cota BC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12819215 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature