This article focuses on the matter of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, which is crucial for preventing chronic diseases from a global health perspective, but the conclusion could be affected by the selection of the study population.
“Blurred criteria of the study population”
The design focuses on food categorization and the details of the diet of the pregnancy, but there are also other papers suggesting a strong association between the mode of delivery and the child’s body mass index throughout the offspring’s life to adulthood [1].
“Both parents’ weight condition might be affecting the results of this study”
The result of this article was the association of UPF and overweight among the offspring, the study population however was just about the mothers, neglecting the father’s role in the pregnancy. There are papers proving that both parents’ overweight condition can have consequences in the combination of the sperm and oocytes leading to unhealthy offspring [2].
“Diseases during the pregnancy could be affecting the infant’s overweight condition”
There are also papers stating that gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, and smoking during pregnancy can also have effects associated with the infant’s overweight condition [3].
In conclusion, the study of UPF’s relationship with offspring’s overweight or obesity has profound implications since food nutrition is a crucial part of the epidemiological transition for global health. Therefore, a carefully designed epidemiological study is essential, slight mistakes could be misleading the interventions emerging from the conclusions of the study. Further study could be implemented this conclusion in animal trials to prove its effectiveness.
1 Darmasseelane, K., Hyde, M. J., Santhakumaran, S., Gale, C. & Modi, N. Mode of delivery and offspring body mass index, overweight and obesity in adult life: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one 9, e87896 (2014).
2 Hieronimus, B. & Ensenauer, R. Influence of maternal and paternal pre-conception overweight/obesity on offspring outcomes and strategies for prevention. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 75, 1735-1744 (2021).
3 Yu, Z. et al. Pre-pregnancy body mass index in relation to infant birth weight and offspring overweight/obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one 8, e61627 (2013).
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Potential noise to the article conclusion
Dear Editor
This article focuses on the matter of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, which is crucial for preventing chronic diseases from a global health perspective, but the conclusion could be affected by the selection of the study population.
“Blurred criteria of the study population”
The design focuses on food categorization and the details of the diet of the pregnancy, but there are also other papers suggesting a strong association between the mode of delivery and the child’s body mass index throughout the offspring’s life to adulthood [1].
“Both parents’ weight condition might be affecting the results of this study”
The result of this article was the association of UPF and overweight among the offspring, the study population however was just about the mothers, neglecting the father’s role in the pregnancy. There are papers proving that both parents’ overweight condition can have consequences in the combination of the sperm and oocytes leading to unhealthy offspring [2].
“Diseases during the pregnancy could be affecting the infant’s overweight condition”
There are also papers stating that gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, and smoking during pregnancy can also have effects associated with the infant’s overweight condition [3].
In conclusion, the study of UPF’s relationship with offspring’s overweight or obesity has profound implications since food nutrition is a crucial part of the epidemiological transition for global health. Therefore, a carefully designed epidemiological study is essential, slight mistakes could be misleading the interventions emerging from the conclusions of the study. Further study could be implemented this conclusion in animal trials to prove its effectiveness.
1 Darmasseelane, K., Hyde, M. J., Santhakumaran, S., Gale, C. & Modi, N. Mode of delivery and offspring body mass index, overweight and obesity in adult life: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one 9, e87896 (2014).
2 Hieronimus, B. & Ensenauer, R. Influence of maternal and paternal pre-conception overweight/obesity on offspring outcomes and strategies for prevention. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 75, 1735-1744 (2021).
3 Yu, Z. et al. Pre-pregnancy body mass index in relation to infant birth weight and offspring overweight/obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one 8, e61627 (2013).
Competing interests: No competing interests