Estimated reduction in BMI and weight among US children aged 7–18 years after replacing all UPFs with non-UPFs in their diet
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (95% CI) | Weight (kg), mean (95% CI)* | |||||
| Current | Postchange | Difference | Current | Postchange | Difference | |
| All US children (7–18 years) | 22.0 (21.8 to 22.1) | 19.9 (18.7 to 21.2) | −2.09 (−3.21 to 0.80) | 54.4 (53.9 to 54.9) | 49.3 (46.4 to 52.6) | −5.12 (−7.87 to −1.97) |
| Sex | ||||||
| Boys | 21.7 (21.5 to 21.9) | 19.5 (18.3 to 20.9) | −2.17 (−3.34 to 0.83) | 55.8 (55.0 to 56.5) | 50.3 (47.0 to 54.0) | −5.52 (−8.50 to −2.12) |
| Girls | 22.2 (22.0 to 22.4) | 20.2 (19.1 to 21.5) | −2.01 (−3.09 to 0.77) | 53.0 (52.4 to 53.6) | 48.3 (45.5 to 51.4) | −4.71 (−7.25 to −1.81) |
| Age (years) | ||||||
| Children (7–11) | 18.9 (18.8 to 19.1) | 16.9 (15.9 to 18.2) | −2.00 (−3.07 to 0.76) | 36.9 (36.5 to 37.3) | 33.0 (30.8 to 35.5) | −3.86 (−5.94 to −1.48) |
| Adolescents (12–18) | 23.8 (23.6 to 24.0) | 21.7 (20.5 to 23.1) | −2.15 (−3.31 to 0.82) | 65.3 (64.6 to 65.9) | 59.4 (56.0 to 63.2) | −5.90 (−9.08 to −2.26) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 21.5 (21.3 to 21.7) | 19.4 (18.3 to 20.8) | −2.07 (−3.19 to 0.79) | 53.7 (53.0 to 54.4) | 48.6 (45.6 to 52.1) | −5.10 (−7.86 to −1.96) |
| Non-Hispanic black | 22.8 (22.6 to 23.1) | 20.6 (19.4 to 22.1) | −2.20 (−3.39 to 0.84) | 57.7 (56.9 to 58.5) | 52.3 (48.9 to 56.1) | −5.48 (−8.44 to −2.10) |
| Hispanic† | 22.7 (22.5 to 22.8) | 20.5 (19.3 to 21.9) | −2.16 (−3.32 to 0.83) | 54.3 (53.6 to 55.0) | 49.2 (46.2 to 52.7) | −5.12 (−7.89 to −1.96) |
| Other | 21.5 (21.2 to 21.9) | 19.6 (18.4 to 21.0) | −1.89 (−2.93 to 0.72) | 53.6 (52.2 to 55.1) | 48.9 (45.4 to 52.9) | −4.67 (−7.27 to −1.77) |
| Parental education‡ | ||||||
| Less than high school | 22.5 (22.2 to 22.8) | 20.4 (19.1 to 21.8) | −2.15 (−3.32 to 0.82) | 54.7 (53.7 to 55.6) | 49.5 (46.3 to 53.2) | −5.15 (−7.96 to −1.97) |
| High school or GED | 22.6 (22.4 to 22.9) | 20.5 (19.2 to 21.9) | −2.20 (−3.40 to 0.84) | 56.3 (55.5 to 57.1) | 50.9 (47.7 to 54.6) | −5.38 (−8.32 to −2.06) |
| Some college | 22.4 (22.1 to 22.6) | 20.2 (19.0 to 21.6) | −2.15 (−3.30 to 0.82) | 55.9 (54.9 to 56.8) | 50.6 (47.2 to 54.3) | −5.32 (−8.19 to −2.04) |
| College graduate | 20.6 (20.4 to 20.8) | 18.7 (17.6 to 20.0) | −1.90 (−2.93 to 0.72) | 51.2 (50.4 to 52.0) | 46.6 (43.7 to 49.8) | −4.65 (−7.20 to −1.77) |
| Family income§ | ||||||
| <1.3 | 22.4 (22.3 to 22.6) | 20.3 (19.1 to 21.7) | −2.16 (−3.32 to 0.83) | 54.5 (53.9 to 55.1) | 49.3 (46.4 to 52.7) | −5.19 (−7.98 to −1.99) |
| 1.3–3 | 22.3 (22.0 to 22.5) | 20.1 (18.9 to 21.6) | −2.15 (−3.31 to 0.83) | 55.1 (54.3 to 56.0) | 49.9 (46.6 to 53.6) | −5.27 (−8.10 to −2.02) |
| ≥3 | 21.2 (20.9 to 21.4) | 19.2 (18.1 to 20.5) | −1.97 (−3.04 to 0.75) | 53.6 (52.7 to 54.5) | 48.7 (45.6 to 52.2) | −4.93 (−7.61 to −1.88) |
*Mean and SE of current BMI and weight were adjusted for survey weights; mean of the BMI and weight after replacing UPFs with non-UPFs (postchange) and differences between current and postchange were estimated as the median of the simulated distribution of 1000 means; upper and lower bounds were estimated as corresponding to the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of the simulated distribution of the 1000 means.
†Hispanic includes respondents self-identified as ‘American Mexican’ or as ‘Hispanic’ ethnicity. ‘Other’ includes race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic, including multiracial.
‡Parental education represents the educational level of the household reference person.
§Family income corresponds to the ratio of family income to the federal poverty threshold. A higher ratio indicates a higher level of income.
BMI, body mass index; GED, General Educational Development; UPF, ultraprocessed food.