Estimated reduction in prevalence of overweight or obesity among US children aged 7–18 years after replacing all UPFs with non-UPFs in their diet
| Prevalence (%) of overweight (BMI ≥85th percentile) | Prevalence (%) of obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) | |||||
| Mean (95% CI) | Mean (95% CI) | |||||
| Current* | Postchange* | Difference* | Current* | Postchange* | Difference* | |
| All US children (7–18 years) | 37.0 (35.9 to 38.1) | 20.9 (15.1 to 29.9) | −16.1 (−22.4 to 6.85) | 20.1 (19.2 to 21.0) | 11.0 (7.86 to 15.8) | −9.11 (−12.8 to −4.00) |
| Sex | ||||||
| Boys | 37.4 (36.1 to 38.7) | 20.0 (13.9 to 29.5) | −17.4 (−24.1 to 7.52) | 20.6 (19.4 to 21.9) | 10.9 (7.65 to 16.2) | −9.71 (−13.8 to −4.00) |
| Girls | 36.7 (35.2 to 38.1) | 21.8 (16.0 to 30.5) | −14.8 (−21.3 to 5.68) | 19.6 (18.6 to 20.6) | 11.1 (7.71 to 15.7) | −8.43 (−12.4 to −3.43) |
| Age (years) | ||||||
| Children (7–11) | 35.7 (34.2 to 37.2) | 17.6 (12.0 to 27.8) | −18.0 (−24.5 to 7.42) | 19.1 (17.9 to 20.3) | 9.16 (5.86 to 14.7) | −9.90 (−14.1 to −3.92) |
| Adolescents (12–18) | 37.9 (36.4 to 39.3) | 22.9 (16.8 to 31.4) | −14.9 (−21.7 to 6.00) | 20.8 (19.6 to 21.9) | 12.1 (8.92 to 16.7) | −8.57 (−12.5 to −3.55) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 33.1 (31.8 to 34.5) | 17.7 (11.7 to 26.6) | −15.4 (−22.0 to 6.16) | 17.1 (16.0 to 18.2) | 8.73 (5.78 to 13.3) | −8.31 (−12.1 to −3.33) |
| Non-Hispanic black | 40.8 (39.1 to 42.5) | 24.7 (18.9 to 33.7) | −15.9 (−22.8 to 6.49) | 23.9 (22.5 to 25.4) | 15.2 (11.1 to 20.7) | −8.72 (−13.8 to −2.64) |
| Hispanic† | 45.3 (43.9 to 46.6) | 27.1 (20.4 to 37.1) | −18.2 (−25.4 to 7.80) | 25.5 (24.2 to 26.7) | 14.8 (10.9 to 20.7) | −10.5 (−15.3 to −4.25) |
| Other | 34.2 (31.8 to 36.6) | 18.8 (12.2 to 29.6) | −15.2 (−23.6 to 3.70) | 19.3 (16.9 to 21.6) | 8.57 (4.50 to 14.8) | −10.6 (−16.9 to −3.11) |
| Parental education‡ | ||||||
| Less than high school | 41.9 (40.2 to 43.5) | 24.7 (18.0 to 34.7) | −17.1 (−24.7 to 6.56) | 23.7 (22.0 to 25.4) | 13.6 (9.17 to 19.6) | −10.1 (−15.7 to −3.25) |
| High school or GED | 42.9 (41.3 to 44.6) | 24.9 (18.1 to 35.9) | −17.9 (−25.7 to 6.46) | 24.4 (22.9 to 25.8) | 13.7 (9.50 to 19.7) | −10.6 (−15.7 to −4.02) |
| Some college | 37.8 (35.8 to 39.7) | 23.1 (16.8 to 31.5) | −14.7 (−22.1 to 5.56) | 22.4 (20.8 to 23.9) | 13.0 (9.23 to 18.3) | −9.35 (−14.3 to −3.32) |
| College graduate | 28.5 (26.7 to 30.3) | 13.3 (7.92 to 22.3) | −15.1 (−21.8 to 5.62) | 12.7 (11.5 to 13.9) | 5.40 (3.14 to 9.43) | −7.21 (−10.6 to −2.65) |
| Family income§ | ||||||
| <1.3 | 42.0 (40.8 to 43.2) | 25.0 (18.6 to 34.1) | −17.0 (−23.9 to 7.57) | 23.4 (22.3 to 24.4) | 14.0 (9.87 to 18.8) | −9.43 (−14.0 to −4.10) |
| 1.3–3 | 39.3 (37.7 to 40.9) | 22.2 (15.9 to 32.4) | −17.0 (−24.2 to 6.47) | 22.2 (20.5 to 23.9) | 12.1 (8.02 to 18.0) | −10.1 (−15.4 to −3.40) |
| ≥3 | 29.9 (28.4 to 31.5) | 15.6 (9.95 to 24.0) | −14.3 (−20.8 to 5.35) | 15.0 (13.8 to 16.2) | 7.09 (4.65 to 11.6) | −7.78 (−11.3 to −2.83) |
*Prevalence of overweight and obesity was adjusted for survey weights.
†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.