Processed foods wage war on the future

Q: I’ve heard about all the horrible things that ultra-processed foods can do to you — but they are everywhere and tough to avoid. Do I really need to be worried about eating them, or is it one more hysterical finding that will fade away? — Cary T., Nashville

A: We have been writing and talking about the risks associated with eating ultraand highly processed foods since the 1990s. They are stripped of nutrients and fiber and contain artificial ingredients that extend shelf life, make them have a better texture or flavor, or allow manufacturers to do things with the ingredients that Mother Nature never thought of.

Now a meta-review, published in BMJ, of data on almost 10 million people has concluded that ultra-processed foods have “direct associations” with adverse outcomes to 32 health issues such as various cancers and mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic conditions.

There is convincing evidence showed eating UPFS is associated with around a 50 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, up to a 53 percent increased risk of anxiety and other common mental conditions, and a 12 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Q: My physician has said that my waist is too large — it is about 42 inches. I am 5 feet, 6 inches and 185 pounds. Is that just a polite way of saying I need to lose weight? Why focus on my waist size — and will losing weight make it noticeably smaller? — Jennifer P., Jacksonville, Florida

A: Your waist-to-height ratio is a good and easy measure of just how much risk you’re at for chronic diseases associated with obesity. This is in part because the fat you accumulate around your waist — visceral fat — is much more likely to cause inflammation in your organ systems and lead to heart disease, stroke, dementia, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and multiple types of cancer.

You want to aim for a waist-to-height ratio below 0.52 for men and 0.48 for women. You can get your ratio by dividing your waist circumference in inches (suck your belly in when you measure your waist) by your height in inches. Jennifer, your waist-to-height ratio may be around 0.63.

The great news is that if you lose your excess visceral belly fat, you can reverse some or all of your risk for obesity-associated chronic diseases.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.