Experts warn ultra-processed foods may cause worrying change in children’s faces
13 January 2025, 19:04
Youngsters with a diet high in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) risk being left with dodgy teeth and a shrunk jaw, experts have warned.
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Researchers have shone a spotlight on Brits’ unhealthy diets in recent years, with UPFs accounting for nearly 60% of our diets.
For young people, the figure is even higher, with nearly 70% of adolescent’s caloric intake coming from UPFs.
The foods, which typically have additives one wouldn’t normally find in their kitchen, can range from anything like crisps and sweets to supermarket white bread and flavoured yoghurts.
A number of studies have linked diets high in UPFs to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
But for children, a high UPF can cause some other surprising symptoms too, according to a recent study by researchers from the Catholic University of Valencia.
Read more: A glass of milk a day cuts risk of bowel cancer, study reveals
Dr Laura Marques Martinez, an expert in pediatric dentistry and co-author of the study, said: “Chewing plays a crucial role in the proper development of the jaws as it stimulates bone growth, strengthens facial muscles, and promotes proper dental alignment.
“Chewing solid and fibrous foods, such as fruits, vegetables, or natural proteins, exercises the jaw, helping to prevent issues like malocclusion (misalignment of teeth) and deficiencies in the size and shape of dental arches.
“On the other hand, diets based on ultra-processed foods, which are soft and require minimal effort to chew, negatively impact jaw development.”“These foods, by failing to adequately stimulate the maxillofacial muscles and bones, can lead to underdeveloped bone structures and increase the risk of malocclusion and respiratory problems.”The researchers kept tabs on the eating habits, dental structures and skull shapes of 25 three to five-year-olds as part of the study. They found those who consumed softer foods were more likely to have buck teeth lack natural gaps, which are needed between teeth in early childhood to make room for larger teeth when they start growing.
Professor Tim Spector, a leading British diet expert and founder of the ZOE app, told The Telegraph: “We've been going through this epidemic of jaw shrinkage for a few hundred years but it has really accelerated over the last two decades.
“As a result, we're seeing a huge rise in orthodontic problems in children – a massive use of braces, and far more crooked teeth
Research into the impact of these unhealthy goods has found that the UK's reliance on foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, is having a 'devastating' impact.
A study by the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FOC) report found the UK's estimated spend of £268bn can be explained by three areas: NHS spend (£67.5bn), welfare system (£10.1bn) and social care services (£14.3bn).The finances go towards treating diet-related diseases.
These include type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular problems.
Meanwhile in May, researchers at Harvard University tracked 115,000 healthy US adults over the course of three decades.
They found a link between eating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the risk of dying.The most harmful diets contain high amounts of ready-made processed meat and fish products.
These diets increased the risk of death by 13 per cent. Food in this category includes items like shop-bought sausages, burgers, fish fingers, chicken nuggets and turkey twizzlers.
