In Bethesda, Maryland, Sam Srisatta, a 20-year-old college student from Florida, spent the previous autumn as a participant in a government study conducted at a hospital, where he lived for a month playing video games while scientists meticulously tracked every meal he consumed. From salads to spaghetti and meatballs, Srisatta’s diet was closely observed as part of a research project exploring the health impacts of ultraprocessed foods—a type of food that constitutes over 70% of the U.S. market. Srisatta shared his experience and day-to-day meals with a journalist.
Srisatta, one of 36 individuals compensated $5,000 for their involvement in the 28-day study, mentioned enjoying meals such as chicken nuggets and chips. This project is spearheaded by Kevin Hall, a nutrition researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who aims to delve into what elements make ultraprocessed foods particularly appealing and potentially linked to weight gain and obesity-related issues.
Hall’s research methodology includes constant monitoring rather than relying on subjective self-reporting, to accurate determine whether ultraprocessed foods are leading to excess calorie consumption and weight gain. This research gains significance as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addresses dietary challenges contributing to chronic diseases and prioritizes nutrition reforms in school meals to combat health issues in children.
Ultraprocessed foods, recognized for their high fat, sodium, and sugar content, have become widespread in the United States parallel to the rising cases of obesity and diet-related ailments. Normally inexpensive and mass-produced, these foods incorporate additives not typically found in home cooking, such as artificial colors and chemicals. Though studies implicate these processed foods in adverse health outcomes, the actual role of processing versus nutrient content remains a topic of investigation.
In a 2019 study, Hall and colleagues found participants consumed roughly 500 additional calories daily on diets rich in ultraprocessed foods compared to those on minimally processed diets. The ongoing study seeks to verify and build upon these findings, examining theories that suggest distinctive ingredient mixes in ultraprocessed foods might drive increased consumption. Moreover, these foods might be denser in calories per bite, fostering higher intake without notice.
Volunteers like Srisatta, and the collecting and analyzing expertise of dietitians and health professionals, are pivotal in this multimillion-dollar study. Srisatta, during his NIH residency, wore monitors and partook in rigorous assessments, furnishing up to 14 blood samples and spending time in a metabolic chamber to gauge his physiological responses to food. While he could leave the facility, supervision was required to avert unsanctioned food intake.
Srisatta’s diet was crafted specifically to fulfill the study’s needs, as explained by NIH dietitian Sara Turner. Meals crafted in the NIH’s basement kitchen staff were designed to appeal visually and taste good, all while maintaining precise nutrient balances. Initial findings, shared by Hall at a recent conference, indicated participants consuming highly palatable, calorie-dense processed diets ingested about 1,000 additional calories daily compared to those eating minimally processed foods, culminating in weight gain. Adjustments in food qualities resulted in decreased consumption even when defining foods remained ultraprocessed.
Not all researchers agree with Hall’s approach or interpretations. Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children’s Hospital critiqued Hall’s earlier work for its brief duration, assertive that more extended, well-designed studies with intermittent diet washout phases would provide more definitive evidence. Consistent long-term follow-ups reveal deeper insights on obesity’s dietary causes.
Concerns over study durations resonate with Marion Nestle, a nutritionist and food policy expert, who concedes that funding is essential for executing broader, longer-term research needed to address these complexities thoroughly. Despite a $2 billion annual investment in nutritional studies, NIH faces logistical restraints, such as a reduced capacity at the metabolic unit, further protracting ongoing research timelines.
Srisatta, an aspiring emergency room physician, emerged from the study eager for deeper insights into processed foods’ health implications. He acknowledges a common understanding regarding processed foods’ unhealthiness but emphasizes that evidence supporting these notions could make a real public impact.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not offer comments regarding Kennedy’s nutrition research objectives at NIH, especially amidst economic pressures stemming from initiatives by President Donald Trump and advisor Elon Musk. Jerold Mande, a former federal nutrition policy advisor, advocates for enhanced research facilities to accommodate comprehensive dietary examinations crucial for steering public health improvements through robust scientific discovery.
