Ultra-Processed Food Exposure and Childhood Obesity: A Comparative Healthcare Systems Analysis of the United States and the United Kingdom

Le résumé fourni par la source

Childhood obesity remains one of the most significant public health challenges worldwide, with long-term consequences for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and overall health outcomes.Among the environmental factors implicated in the obesity epidemic, the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has attracted substantial attention.This study examines obesity trends among children and adolescents aged 5-19 years in the United States and the United Kingdom, two highincome countries with distinct healthcare systems and public health policies.Publicly available obesity prevalence data from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) and published estimates of UPF exposure were analyzed.Temporal trends from 1990 to 2022 were evaluated for male and female populations in both countries.Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation, linear regression, one-way ANOVA, and pairwise comparisons.Results demonstrated significantly higher obesity prevalence in the United States compared with the United Kingdom for both sexes (p < 0.0001).While a moderate positive correlation between UPF exposure and obesity prevalence was observed (r = 0.39), regression analysis indicated that country-level factors remained significant predictors of obesity prevalence after accounting for UPF exposure.These findings suggest that healthcare systems, policy interventions, socioeconomic conditions, and food environments may contribute substantially to differences in childhood obesity rates beyond dietary exposure alone.

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