The unhealthy diet has now become a commonplace thing. As we step out of our home, we see such food all around us, from small tea shops near the corner of the street to big, expensive malls of the city; they all contain the same packaged HFSS and ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Besides the packaged food, there is a range of deep-fried savory snacks, actually freshly made and served, but are categorized under HFSS foods.
The connecting link between HFSS foods and non-communicable diseases (NCDs):
The foods that are prepared with excessive oil/butter/other fats and have added sugar and salt are known as HFSS foods. The HFSS foods are energy dense (high in calories) and contain excess amounts of saturated fat, sugar, salt, and may not contain fibers & essential minerals. HFSS foods are categorized as per ICMR-NIN as –
- Category 1: Provide nutrients within the normal limit, i.e., normal level of fat, sugar, and salt.
- Category 2 & 3: Provide nutrients like fat, sugar, and salt ranging from moderate to high levels.
Category 1 is considered safe, while 2 & 3 come under true HFSS foods.
The threshold of fat, sugar, and salt for defining HFSS as per ICMR/NIN are the following:
- Added fat: ≥1.5 g (liquids) | ≥4.2 g (solids)
- Added salt: ≥175 mg (liquids) | ≥625 mg (solids)
- Added sugar: ≥2 g (liquids) | ≥3 g (solids)
- Energy: ≥70 kcal (liquids) | ≥250 kcal (solids)
HFSS foods are generously high in saturated fat, added sugar, and salt (sodium). Our food behavior is the main axis that shapes our health, and unhealthy food behavior daily is a major driving factor for many NCDs like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, etc.
The Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study identifies high-calorie diets as an important risk factor for NCDs. The HFSS diets that are mainly high-calorie diets are associated with obesity, which can in turn cause diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. The intake of high added sugar and salt can lead to hypertension and related diseases like chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases.
Similarly, UPFs are also high-calorie foods with significantly high levels of added sugar & salt. Consumption of such foods regularly is linked to an increase in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and also chronic inflammatory diseases.
Limiting the use of HFSS foods and UPFs and replacing them with minimally processed foods is an important strategy to control NCDs. To limit HFSS intake and to assess the overall dietary pattern, there must be an easy method. This can be done through informed food choices and use of a dietary log. Nowadays, many mobile apps are available to track dietary patterns and to check the nutritional value in the “My Plate for the Day”. Mobile apps like FoodLog, MealLogger, FoodDiary, DietDiary, Bitesnap, etc. provide an easy method to track daily assessment of healthy and unhealthy food intake. Such a mobile-based scalability system has the potential to enhance awareness of good food choices and reduce the chances of NCDs.
Do you think there should be availability of flexible and user-preference-based mobile apps to track dietary behavior and suggest healthy food choices and simultaneously show the risk meter for NCDs?
MBH/PS