# Processed Food Intake, Metabolomics, and Adiposity

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2021 · $1,926,984

## Abstract

Overweight and obesity have been increasing over the four past decades with linkage between excess body
weight and coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and premature death. Concomitantly, since the
1950’s, the number of processed food products appearing on grocery store shelves and the number of fast
food restaurants in the US increased over 200%. Highly processed or ultra-processed foods (UPFs), rich in
added sugar, fat, sodium, and additives, contributed over 55% of energy consumed by U.S. adults. These
foods were also related to obesity in several studies, but not cardiometabolic outcomes. Better understanding
of the role processed food plays in the development of obesity and chronic disease requires well characterized,
longitudinal data about lifestyle, clinical outcomes, objective biomarkers, and repeated measures of dietary
intake using a questionnaire with sufficient detail to correctly classify foods by processing level. The Coronary
Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study is uniquely suited to study the impact of long-term
processed food intake on metabolism and development of obesity, cardiometabolic risk, and T2D across the
life course in a large biracial cohort age 18-30 years at baseline (1985-86). The objective of this proposal is to
conduct an ancillary study about processed food intake, metabolomics, and adiposity in the parent CARDIA
year 35 exam: to assess dietary intake and measure adipose tissue depots by CT scan and metabolite
markers in 3,270 black and white men and women. The central hypothesis is that repeated measures of
energy intake (and other nutrients) from UPFs and related metabolite profiles predict obesity, adiposity,
cardiometabolic risk, and T2D in 3,270 black and white men and women. The central hypothesis will be tested
by pursuing three specific aims: 1) to examine intake of selected nutrients (energy, added sugar, fat, fiber,
others) from UPFs at 4 examinations over 35 years, 2) to determine associations of repeated measures of
energy and other nutrient intakes from UPFs at 4 exams with change in obesity, adipose tissue depots,
cardiometabolic risk factors, and risk of T2D; and 3) to examine change in metabolite profiles associated with
UPFs and their relationship to changes in weight, adipose tissue depots, cardiometabolic factors and risk of
T2D. Biologic pathways will be identified based on metabolite profiles related to dietary intake and obesity-
related and T2D outcomes. The proposed research is significant, because there is a need to know the long-
term association of UPF intake with obesity and its pathologic correlates. The results will have an important
impact because our findings 1) may challenge and clarify current diet policies - to consider not only nutrient
and food group consumption, but also food processing and/or the formulation of food for a healthy eating
pattern, and 2) may challenge food manufacturers to change food formulations by limiting or changing the type
an...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10220132
- **Project number:** 5R01HL150053-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** LYN M STEFFEN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,926,984
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10220132

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10220132, Processed Food Intake, Metabolomics, and Adiposity (5R01HL150053-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10220132. Licensed CC0.

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