eating habits Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Are Big Retail Chains Driving Global Obesity? Study Confirms Alarming Link

The AHA! Team — Mon, 12 May 2025 05:07:00 +0000

Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D. via News-Medical – As large retail chains dominate global food markets, unhealthy eating soars—highlighting an urgent need to reshape food environments to combat rising obesity rates. In a recent study published in Nature Food, researchers assess the impact of the retail food environment on global health. An overview of the global food landscape South Asia experienced a dramatic 275% rise in the density of chain outlets from 2009 to 2023, highlighting a rapid shift toward large corporate food systems. Over the past 50 years, global food systems have radically transformed from independent and traditional food sources to systems that are often urbanized, industrialized, digitalized, and run by large retail conglomerates. These changes have increased the availability and affordability of many foods; however, modern global food systems are associated with numerous challenges, including inequitable access to nutritious foods and increased consumption of highly processed products. Compared to traditional foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables, highly processed packaged foods are often high in energy while lacking essential nutrients. Consuming these foods increases the risk of numerous non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the most common of which include obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Diet-related decisions can be largely influenced by the type of retail food environment, which encompasses supermarkets, convenience stores, vending machines, cafes, and restaurants. Multinational food chains, for example, often offer affordable foods that are highly processed and unhealthy. Therefore, when these retailers are the only source of food in low- and middle-income regions, they inevitably contribute to NCD-related morbidity and mortality in these populations. To date, few studies have compared differences in the density of retail food systems within and between countries. Thus, it is imperative to better understand current and historical trends in the global food retail landscape and how these differences in food systems impact the prevalence of NCDs. Study findings Digital grocery sales surged globally, especially in upper-middle-income countries, signaling a new frontier in how unhealthy foods reach consumers. The researchers of the current study measured changes in physical and digital retail food environment indicators across 97 and 23 different countries, respectively, from 2009 to 2023 and 2013 to 2023. Between 2009 and 2023 the density of chain outlets increased from 2.63 to 3.25 for every 10,000 individuals, respectively, a rise of over 23.6%. This growth was faster in low—and middle-income countries before 2017. The slowest growth of chain outlets in high-income countries was observed between 2016 and 2020. Overall, a consistent rate of chain outlet growth was observed in upper-middle income countries during the study period. Between 2009 and 2023, the density of non-chain outlets decreased by 13.7%, with every nation outside of North America experiencing a reduction every year. The greatest decrease was observed in upper-middle income countries, followed by low-to-middle income and high-income countries. North America showed the highest reliance on chain stores for unhealthy food, accounting for more than 80% of these sales throughout the study period. The ratio of non-chain to chain outlets decreased by 61% during the study period, with low- and middle-income countries experiencing the largest decline despite having the highest number of non-chain outlets for each chain outlet. Between 2009 and 2023, grocery sales from chain outlets increased by 8.5% in all nations included in the analysis, with South Asia experiencing the greatest increase of 6.68%. However, North America and sub-Saharan Africa did not report any changes in the percentage of grocery sales from chain retailers. The sale of unhealthy foods increased by 4.9% between 2009 and 2023 with South Asia reporting the greatest annual increase during this period. No significant changes in the sales of unhealthy foods were reported in North America. The percentage of unhealthy food sales from chain outlets also increased significantly by 10.9% during this period. In North America, over 80% of unhealthy food sales were from chain outlets, compared to 30% in South Asia. Impact of the retail food environment on obesity The prevalence of obesity increased by about 2% between 2009 and 2022, with all included geographical regions reporting a significant rise in obesity rates. The density of chain and non-chain outlets and the sales of unhealthy foods positively correlated with obesity rates. As the number of non-chain grocery stores reduced in certain nations, the likelihood of rising obesity rates increased. Study takeaways An increasingly corporatized retail food environment is associated with increases in obesity prevalence. Surprisingly, sub-Saharan Africa and North America were unique, showing no notable rise in the proportion of grocery sales made by large chain retailers over the study period. Large chain retailers gain the power to manipulate prices to maximize profits and increase the sale of ultra-processed, unhealthy, and packaged foods by largely dominating food markets. These factors can collectively manipulate customers to develop unhealthy food habits, potentially increasing the risk of developing NCDs like obesity. The study findings emphasize the crucial need to monitor the role of retail food environment transformation on human and planetary health, especially in low—and middle-income countries, where this change is more rapid and pronounced. Journal reference: Scapin, T., Romaniuk, H., Feeley, A., et al. (2025). Global food retail environments are increasingly dominated by large chains and linked to the rising prevalence of obesity. Nature Food. doi:10./1038/s43016-025-01134-x, https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-025-01134-x To read the original article click here.

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Slash Your Risk of NAFLD by Breaking THIS Harmful Habit

The AHA! Team — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 05:08:37 +0000

Patrick Tims via NaturalHealth365 – It’s estimated that one in four adults suffers from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver without alcohol being a factor. While alcohol is a well-known culprit of liver disease, a recent study published in the Annals of Hepatology highlights another surprising contributor: soft drinks. The research reveals a strong link between increased soft drink consumption and a higher risk of developing NAFLD, raising concerns about the impact of sugary beverages on liver health. The alarming link between soda consumption and liver disease: What the latest study reveals If you’re someone who can’t resist soda, you’re not alone – soft drinks, sugary sports beverages, and other sugar-filled bottled drinks are highly addictive. However, the latest study published in the Annals of Hepatology raises serious concerns: drinking more soft drinks is linked to a significantly higher risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The data also highlights that men are more likely to develop liver disease from increased soda consumption than women. The initial data collection occurred between 2004 and 2006, and only participants aged 20 or older were included. A follow-up analysis conducted from 2010 to 2012 added 186 new individuals, with 1,627 participants remaining in the study. Diet sodas or those with zero calories were excluded from the analysis. 28% of men consumed between one and three and a half servings of soft drinks per week. 47.4% of men consumed more than three and a half servings per week. 31.1% of women consumed between one and three and a half servings of soft drinks per week. 26.5% of women consumed more than three and a half servings per week. The median weekly soft drink intake for participants was 3.1 servings. Why NAFLD risk varies between men and women: A key insight from the study The study reveals a significant increase in the risk of NAFLD with higher soft drink consumption, showing a 39% higher likelihood of developing NAFLD when soft drink intake rises from less than one serving per week to more than three and a half servings per week. One of the most striking findings is that men have a higher risk of NAFLD as their soft drink consumption increases compared to women. While both sexes see a rise in risk with greater soft drink intake, the increase is more pronounced in men. This suggests that metabolic differences between men and women may play a key role in how the body responds to soft drink consumption, contributing to the observed variances in NAFLD risk. Simple and natural strategies to kick your soda habit Kicking your soda habit might sound tough, but it’s more doable than you think! Instead of going cold turkey, try weaning yourself off the sugary drinks gradually. A gentle transition can make the process feel less overwhelming. Start by swapping out your soda for sparkling water. The fizz can help satisfy that craving for something bubbly, and you can add a splash of lemon, lime, or cucumber to give it a refreshing twist. If you’re missing the sweetness, flavored waters with natural extracts like mint or berry are a great option, too. Try kombucha if you’re looking for something with a little more punch. This tangy, fermented tea is naturally fizzy and can help curb those cravings while also boosting your gut. Another tasty option is prebiotic sodas – these offer the fizz and a bit of sweetness without the sugar overload. For a more festive alternative, sparkling non-alcoholic champagne or grape juice can be a fun treat that feels like a special occasion, minus the sugar high. And if you’re craving something warm, herbal teas can be a comforting choice. You can naturally sweeten them with some honey or stevia if needed. By gradually replacing soda with these simple, flavorful alternatives, you’ll take steps toward a healthier lifestyle without feeling like you’re missing out! Sources for this article include: Sciencedirect.com NIH.gov News-medical.net To read the original article click here.

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How to Make Healthy Choices When It Comes to Eating, Drinking, and Staying Positive During the Holidays

AHA Publisher — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 08:00:23 +0000

California State University, Dominguez Hills via Newswise – As the holiday season approaches and 2021 draws to a close, three psychology professors from California State University, Dominguez Hills share research-based ways to form healthy mental habits and support overall well-being during this busy time. Available for interviews. Positive Thinking and Gratitude – Giacomo Bono Associate Professor of Psychology Giacomo Bono studies how qualities of social relationships contribute to mental health, the benefits of gratitude, and the development of resilience. He is the author of Making Grateful Kids: The Science of Building Character Given the stress of this years, how can people take care of their mental health during the holiday season? Humans are wired to focus on the negative, but don’t just cherry-pick the bad stuff. Accepting a balanced view of your life will help your perspective. Have self-compassion and patience for yourself and others. Acknowledge your own improvements and focus on your sources of strength. Celebrate your cherished relationships, appreciate how much you’ve been through and grown, and appreciate if things could have been worse. You can be a blessing to others with simple gestures and phrases of kindness, and it will help you, too. What are some tips for mental health during the holidays? Like mindfulness, gratitude is a reliable way to support mental health and personal well-being. The trick is practicing it in a way that you enjoy, and remembering to do it. There are so many different strategies for practicing gratitude. There’s journaling, thank-you texts, or taking a moment to call someone you’ve been meaning to appreciate. High-five or hug them, and tell them why they matter to you. Remember, it’s in practicing that gratitude benefits your well-being. Alcohol Use – Kevin Montes Assistant Professor Kevin Montes researches addiction and alcohol use, including protective behavioral strategies that minimize the negative consequences of alcohol consumption. What can someone do to avoid drinking alcohol during the holidays? You can let friends know that you don’t want to drink. If going to a public place, don’t bring money or a credit card—this will limit your ability to purchase your own drinks. You can also try to always have a non-alcoholic drink in your hand. What should someone do if they feel pressure to drink? Friends and family may pressure you to drink because it normalizes their own drinking behavior. It also may be that you are perceived as being more fun when you are intoxicated. Regardless of why friends or family pressure you to drink, you are the only one who is in full control of how much (or how little) you drink. Here are some strategies for responding to others, including if someone asks why you’re not drinking: “No thanks” “I am taking it easy tonight” Food Choices – Kaylie Carbine Assistant Professor of Psychology Kaylie Carbine researches how our brain and cognition play a role in our eating habits and decisions. What are some strategies for making healthier eating choices? One of the best things to do is to normalize your favorite holiday treats by allowing yourself to have a few of them every now and then instead of restricting them to one specific gathering. With eating and dieting, restricting foods never goes very well. Your body will start having cravings, and then you tend to overeat those “forbidden foods or treats” when you get access to them. To avoid overeating, one strategy is to eat normally before attending a gathering. That way, you’re not restricting and then overcompensating. It’s the same idea as not going grocery shopping while you’re hungry. If you can be comfortably full before a holiday meal or party, it will help you listen to what your body needs. Eating slowly is also helpful, because it gives your brain time to recognize feelings of fullness. It also helps you to enjoy the whole process of eating, gathering, and socializing, because you can be more focused on what’s going on around you. Are there any ways to “train my brain” to make better eating choices? There’s been a lot of research around improving cognition—how we’re thinking and making decisions. The research I’ve done in my lab shows that exercise is extremely beneficial in improving your brain. It allows the organ to get the resources and nutrients it needs to perform at its highest level, so you can have improved cognition when making decisions about food. In a study we did, people had lower levels of attention to high calorie foods and unhealthy foods after they exercised. The exercise allowed them to better control that attention and have better cognition. The great thing is that you don’t have to go out and run a marathon. Even a 20-minute walk can benefit you. How can I overcome feelings of guilt and anxiety around food, and be kinder to myself? One of my favorite sayings from the Eating Disorder Center is “you can’t hate yourself into healing.” Feelings of guilt and being upset are not going to lead you into better choices or having a healthier diet. Overeating happens, especially around the holidays. Instead of focusing on the food choices you made, focus on the fun times that you had and the joy you got by sharing the food you made or ate. While there’s always room to improve, you don’t want those feelings to overshadow the positive emotions you had about gathering with friends and family. To read the original article click here.

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Research Demonstrates a Clear Link Between Nicotine Withdrawal and Poor Eating Habits

AHA Publisher — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 07:00:05 +0000

University of Minnesota Medical School via News-Medical – New data collected by University of Minnesota Medical School researchers demonstrate a clear connection between nicotine withdrawal and poor eating habits. Their findings point to the opioid system, the brain functions responsible for addiction and appetite regulation, as a possible cause for smoker preference of energy-dense, high-calorie food during nicotine withdrawal. This can lead to weight gain, for those who quit smoking, which, in turn, may increase the risk of relapse. Mustafa al’Absi, PhD, a licensed psychologist and professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health at the U of M Medical School, Duluth Campus, is the principal investigator and the senior author of the study recently published in the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. “We looked at whether or not acute nicotine withdrawal increases the intake of junk food -; high in salt, fat and sugar -; and how the stress-relieving receptors of the opioid system are involved. Mitigating these challenges during the treatment process will help patients quit smoking while understanding their eating habits and encourage healthier decisions.” Mustafa al’Absi, PhD, Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health, U of M Medical School The team studied a group of smoking and non-smoking participants between the ages of 18 and 75 during two laboratory sessions. All were randomly assigned to do a 24-hour withdrawal from nicotine products and administered either a placebo or 50 mg of naltrexone. At the end of each session, participants were given a tray of snack items that differed in high to low energy density and dimensions of salty, sweet and fat. The study found that: Smokers undergoing nicotine withdrawal consumed more calories than non-smokers. Participants were also less likely to select high-fat food after the naltrexone was administered than placebo. “The study’s findings may be related to the use of food, especially those high in calories, to cope with the negative affect and distress that characterizes the feelings people experience during smoking withdrawal,” al’Absi said. “Results from preclinical and clinical research support this and demonstrate that stress increases proclivity for high-fat and high-sugar foods.” Naltrexone normalized calorie intake to levels seen in non-smokers, suggesting that the opioid system may be a mechanism of withdrawal-induced intake of calories. “This is rather a novel finding in the context of nicotine addiction and has lots of implications for the development of future treatment,” al’Absi said. The choice and consumption of food items were impacted by the participants’ smoking backgrounds. al’Absi and his team are now focusing on the impact of appetite changes on weight gain post-cessation and the extent to which these changes hinder smoking cessation and increase the risk of relapse. Future work will be critical to identifying the mechanisms of these changes and could be targeted for therapeutic interventions. “These findings extend earlier studies that indicate the impact of tobacco use on appetite and help identify the influence of an important biological link, the brain opioid system, on craving during nicotine withdrawal,” al’Absi said. “The fear of weight gain is a major concern among smokers who think about quitting. The key to removing these barriers is to better understand the factors that increase the urge for high-caloric foods.” To read the original article click here.

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New Brain-Training App Helps People to Change Eating Habits and Lose Weight

AHA Publisher — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 07:00:54 +0000

University of Exeter via News-Medical – Using a brain-training app helps people eat less junk food and lose weight, new research suggests. The Food Trainer (FoodT app) trains people to tap on images of healthy foods – but to stop when they see unhealthy snacks, creating an association between these foods and stopping. The new study, by the universities of Exeter and Helsinki, found that playing the game about once a day for a month led to an average one-point reduction of junk food consumption on an eight-point scale (the scale ranges from four or more items per day, to one or zero items per month). Overall, people who used the app more also reported larger changes in their food intake. About half of the study’s 1,234 participants followed the recommendation and played the game at least 10 times. Across all participants, an average weight loss of half a kilogram (just over a pound) and a small increase in healthy food eaten was seen. “As an example, someone who ate each junk food two to four times a week reduced this to once a week after using the app regularly for a month,” said Professor Natalia Lawrence, of the University of Exeter. “Overall, the findings are really encouraging. The app is free and it only takes about four minutes per day – so it’s something people realistically can do – and our results suggest it is effective. “There’s some evidence that the benefits were stronger for people who were more overweight. “We would expect to see this, because the app targets mechanisms that lead people to become overweight, such as the strong urges to approach and consume tempting junk foods.” “For anyone with unhealthy eating habits – perhaps developed during lockdown – FoodT might be helpful.” Dr Matthias Aulbach, University of Helsinki The study used FoodT usage data, and the app also periodically asks questions about how often users eat certain foods, along with other information such as their age and weight. The findings suggest that using the app regularly was linked with bigger changes in eating habits. “If you’re trying to teach the brain something new, it’s a good idea to space out the learning over multiple sessions,” said Dr Aulbach. “It may be helpful to do the training in different contexts – not just at home but at work and elsewhere, so the associations you learn don’t just relate to one location. “From our results it seems important that you do the training regularly and don’t just stop. So keep it interesting and relevant for yourself so you won’t get bored with it: personalize the app as far as possible and pick the foods that you find really hard to resist.” The researchers stress that their findings should be interpreted cautiously, because there was no control (comparison) group and other factors (such as the possibility that people who did more training were also separately more motivated to lose weight) could play a part in the results. Leaving a review on Google Play, one app user wrote: “Really useful. Seems to work on different levels whether it’s the green/red circle association of stop/go which psychologically makes you more aware, I’m not sure – but my cravings have reduced dramatically and I no longer eat in the evening mindlessly.” Development of the app was made possible by donations to a crowdfunding campaign, and app users who consent for their data to be used – anonymously – have enabled this research and app improvements to be made. To read the original article click here.

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