Processed food companies are fucking criminals
The study found that participants who were in the top fifth of consumers of UPFs—eating nine or more servings per day—had a 50% higher risk of developing depression than those in the bottom fifth of consumers, eating four or fewer servings per day.
The researchers also identified a link between artificial sweeteners and depression: Participants in the top fifth of consumers had a 26% higher risk of developing depression than those in the bottom fifth.
https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/ultra-processed-foods-may-increase-risk-of-depression/
OK so two things.
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They say “may” because it is not definitive that there is a causal link. It could just as easily be (and frankly, likely might be) a reverse cause where growing depression makes you less inclined to worry about purchasing and preparing whole foods yourself, or that the link might be correlated to another cause like financial troubles which cause both depression and more cheap and convenient food choices. Maybe the food does cause depression but that is not yet conclusive.
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“Processed food companies are fucking criminals” so… there’s a lot to unpack here. Are you suggesting that they KNOW it causes depression and make it anyway? Or even that they intentionally make it cause depression? Because there is absolutely no reason to think that, if it even provably did. They’re guilty of contributing to the general unhealthy dietary habits and all the other ethical problems that come with a profits over people business model that applies to nearly every capitalist business. But that doesnt seem to be the source of your comment.
This is valuable research and is a step towards understanding how food and mental health may be connected. But you are jumping to all sorts of conclusions, my guy.
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Does this study account for the obvious: poor people eat more UPFs and are more depressed?
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It could be multiple factors. Are depressed people more likely to choose these foods?
Does this study account for the obvious: poor people eat more UPFs and are more depressed?
Yes
The authors of the study accounted for income disparities:
with adjustment for known and suspected risk factors for depression, including age, total caloric intake, body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), physical activity, smoking status, menopausal hormone therapy, total energy intake, alcohol, comorbidities (eg, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia), median family income, social network levels, marital status, sleep duration, and pain.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2809727
I wish journalists would include stuff like this (because it is sadly often left out of research, particularly when people have an agenda).
Go away, spambot.
🤔 are you like an anti-spam spambot?
Go away.
There’s a wonderful thing called reporting accounts, and/or writing up your evidence in an easily digestible way and posting it to one of many instance meta communities to bring admin attention to this.
Works a lot better better than trying to counter-spam.
Repeat after me: correlation does not imply causation.
(This doesn’t mean UPFs are good for you)
Nonsense. The first question should be some version of why are you here. Not everyone goes to therapy for depression.
Addressing the presenting problem?
Pshaw
No. The first question should be if one can afford it
