Maybe the \u201cZ\u201d in Gen Z will eventually stand for \u201cZepbound.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no surprise that Gen Zers love their nuggs and glizzies \u2014 research suggests<\/a> that about 62% of their calories come from ultra-processed foods (UPFs).<\/p>\n A new study<\/a> out of Virginia Tech warns that this is a recipe for disaster, especially for the Gen Zers who tend to overeat when junk food is on the menu.<\/p>\n Research indicates that about 62% of the calories consumed by young people come from ultra-processed foods. pressmaster \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough this was [a] short-term trial, if this increase in caloric intake persists over time, this could lead to weight gain in these young people,\u201d said senior author\u00a0Brenda Davy<\/a>, a professor in Virginia Tech\u2019s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise.<\/p>\n Twenty-seven men and women, 18 to 25 years old, were fed one of two diets for the study.<\/p>\n In the first eating plan, 81% of calories came from UPFs. The other diet was junk-free.<\/p>\n Participants were given enough calories to maintain their weight.<\/p>\n Brenda Davy and Alex DiFeliceantonio are shown in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech\u2019s metabolic kitchen, where studies on food and eating behavior take place. Clayton Metz\/Virginia Tech<\/p>\n \u201cWe very rigorously designed these diets to be matched on 22 characteristics, including macronutrients, fiber, added sugar, energy density and also many vitamins and minerals,\u201d Davy said. \u201cPrevious studies had not matched diets to this extent.\u201d<\/p>\n The volunteers ate one diet for two weeks, resumed their regular routine for four weeks, then switched to the other diet.<\/p>\n After completing each new eating plan, the Gen Zers were given 30 minutes of free rein at a breakfast buffet that featured healthy food and UPFs.<\/p>\n Each participant fasted beforehand and could gobble as much \u2014 or as little \u2014 as they wanted of a food tray worth about 1,800 calories.<\/p>\n The researchers noticed something interesting when they tracked buffet intake by age.<\/p>\n The 18- to 21-year-olds consumed more calories after eating the junk food diet for two weeks \u2014 and they were more likely to gorge when they weren\u2019t hungry.<\/p>\n The 22- to 25-year-olds were less gluttonous.<\/p>\n Age seems to be a factor in Gen Z gluttony. wayhome.studio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The younger the participants were at the start of the study, the more buffet treats they devoured after being on the junk food diet, said Alex DiFeliceantonio<\/a>, an assistant professor in Virginia Tech\u2019s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.<\/p>\n \u201cThis points to younger age as potentially a risk factor for increased calorie intake after UPF exposure,\u201d DiFeliceantonio told The Post.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a period generally characterized by behaviors influenced by more \u2018bottom-up\u2019 motivational systems, but more study is needed to understand exactly why younger people seemed to eat more after consuming a high UPF diet.\u201d<\/p>\n The findings were published on Wednesday in\u00a0the journal Obesity<\/a>.<\/p>\n DiFeliceantonio said that since the participants\u2019 weights were stable, meaning that they didn\u2019t require more calories for energy, \u201cwe can see the effect of processing alone.\u201d<\/p>\n UPFs have been linked<\/a> to 32 negative health outcomes, including higher risks of heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, mental health struggles and even early death<\/a>.<\/p>\n