Metabolic Food Waste (MFW) quantifies the ecological and energetic impact of Excess Body Fat (EBF), linking human metabolic health to environmental sustainability (1). Despite its growing relevance, the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the diet has never been previously quantified using MFW as an indicator (2). Aim of this work was to evaluate the temporal evolution of MFW, focusing exclusively on its energetic impact, and to determine if the inclusion of UPF significantly alters these trajectories within the framework of a healthy Mediterranean Diet (MD). As part of the PROMENADE cross-over trial (2), overweight adults with isocaloric pattern were assigned to 3-month High-UPF and Low-UPF MD, 1-month wash-out. MFW was evaluated across four timepoints as for dietary intake and anthropometrics. Data were analysed using a Linear Mixed Model (LMM); baseline fat mass category was included as a covariate. Additionally, post-hoc Pearson correlations assessed the physiological relationship between phase-by-phase fluctuations in MFW (ΔMFW) and fat mass (ΔFM). Baseline adiposity was the sole significant driver of MFW variance (p=0.011). The LMM revealed no significant differences between the High-UPF and Low-UPF diets (p=0.863), nor a significant Time x UPF interaction (p=0.433). A general, non-significant time trend was observed (p=0.142). Trajectory analyses revealed extreme intra-group variance (Standard Error: 56.5–70.4 MJ). The Low-UPF group exhibited a temporary drop into negative MFW at T2 (-29.8 MJ), rebounding at T3 (+40.1 MJ). Linear regression reveals a strong positive dependence of ΔMFW on adiposity shifts, driven primarily by the High-UPF intervention (r=0.859, p<0.001). Conversely, the Low-UPF group exhibited no significant correlation (r=0.308, p=0.457). Within MD, the degree of food processing does not significantly alter MFW; rather, its trajectories appear to be predominantly governed by baseline body composition rather than the degree of food processing.
Contribution of Ultra-Processed Foods to Metabolic Food Waste in a Mediterranean Diet: The PROMENADE Trial
Raffaella Bravi
;Daniela Martini;Beatrice Pellegrini;Francesco Sofi;Mauro Serafini;Donato Angelino
2026-01-01
Abstract
Metabolic Food Waste (MFW) quantifies the ecological and energetic impact of Excess Body Fat (EBF), linking human metabolic health to environmental sustainability (1). Despite its growing relevance, the impact of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the diet has never been previously quantified using MFW as an indicator (2). Aim of this work was to evaluate the temporal evolution of MFW, focusing exclusively on its energetic impact, and to determine if the inclusion of UPF significantly alters these trajectories within the framework of a healthy Mediterranean Diet (MD). As part of the PROMENADE cross-over trial (2), overweight adults with isocaloric pattern were assigned to 3-month High-UPF and Low-UPF MD, 1-month wash-out. MFW was evaluated across four timepoints as for dietary intake and anthropometrics. Data were analysed using a Linear Mixed Model (LMM); baseline fat mass category was included as a covariate. Additionally, post-hoc Pearson correlations assessed the physiological relationship between phase-by-phase fluctuations in MFW (ΔMFW) and fat mass (ΔFM). Baseline adiposity was the sole significant driver of MFW variance (p=0.011). The LMM revealed no significant differences between the High-UPF and Low-UPF diets (p=0.863), nor a significant Time x UPF interaction (p=0.433). A general, non-significant time trend was observed (p=0.142). Trajectory analyses revealed extreme intra-group variance (Standard Error: 56.5–70.4 MJ). The Low-UPF group exhibited a temporary drop into negative MFW at T2 (-29.8 MJ), rebounding at T3 (+40.1 MJ). Linear regression reveals a strong positive dependence of ΔMFW on adiposity shifts, driven primarily by the High-UPF intervention (r=0.859, p<0.001). Conversely, the Low-UPF group exhibited no significant correlation (r=0.308, p=0.457). Within MD, the degree of food processing does not significantly alter MFW; rather, its trajectories appear to be predominantly governed by baseline body composition rather than the degree of food processing.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
