Health
Less Processed Foods Linked to Greater Weight Loss
Health Points
- Minimally processed diets led to greater weight loss compared to ultra-processed diets.
- Minimally processed foods also improved control over cravings, but ultra-processed diets still showed some weight reduction.
- Experts emphasize balance and flexibility, encouraging healthy eating habits without guilt.
A recent clinical study looked at how diets centered on minimally processed versus ultra-processed foods influenced weight in adults with overweight or obesity.
Participants spent eight weeks on each diet type, reporting their experiences throughout the trial.
People eating foods like overnight oats, homemade pastas, or chicken dishes lost about 2 percent of their starting body weight. They also noted improved ability to manage cravings compared with those eating more ultra-processed meals.
Even those on an ultra-processed food diet—including frozen meals and breakfast bars—still managed to lose about 1 percent of their baseline weight.
“We didn’t expect to see weight loss on the ultra-processed food diet, but this is likely because participants had an unhealthy diet at baseline that did not follow dietary guidance, and improved on the ultra-processed diet,” says lead study author Samuel Dicken, PhD, of University College London.
While a 2 percent reduction in weight in just eight weeks may seem minor, Dr. Dicken highlights its significance for people not actively restricting their food intake.
Over a year, this could translate to even greater reductions: possibly 13 percent weight loss in men and 9 percent in women on minimally processed diets.
Ultra-processed diets in the study would be expected to lead to about half that amount over the same period.
“Choosing minimally processed foods over ultra-processed foods may help with losing weight more easily and maintaining a healthier weight long term — with benefits to body composition related to cardiometabolic health,” Dicken explains.
The trial assigned participants to different eating patterns, providing meals that met national nutrition guidelines but varied in processing. Each person was encouraged to eat according to their appetite rather than restricting portions.
This allowed researchers to explore how food processing, not just calories or nutrients, impacted outcomes.
Past research has suggested that highly processed foods may be linked to negative health outcomes, but this study showed that improvement is possible by enhancing diet quality, even with some ultra-processed foods.
“In this new study, because participants in both groups actually lost weight, this challenges the argument that ultra-processed foods always promote weight gain when nutrient balance is maintained,” says Stephen Finney, MD, an obesity medicine physician at Southcoast Health in Massachusetts.
He added, “The main difference was that the minimally processed diet promoted lower cravings and food intake despite equal macronutrients.”
Foods that are highly processed are often high in sodium, added sugars, fats, and additives, which have been connected to health risks such as heart disease and certain cancers.
Most Americans currently consume about half their calories from ultra-processed foods, according to recent CDC data.
Courtney Pelitera, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in New York, suggests these findings could help reduce stigma around food choices.
“This should give confidence that eating processed foods occasionally as part of an overall healthy diet should not affect weight loss strategies,” says Pelitera. “A main priority is to eat on a consistent basis and fuel your body as much as it needs to function optimally, then focus on adjusting to mostly whole foods — but this does not have to be an all-or-nothing mentality. If one or two processed foods are in the diet each day, this study helps to prove that healthy weight loss can still be achieved.”
Researchers caution that the study had certain limitations, such as short duration, small group size, and reliance on self-reported food habits.
Some participants’ experiences may not reflect the broader population, especially for those with chronic diseases or special dietary needs.
Dr. Finney also points out the food delivery model used doesn’t match real-world access to foods, which can be shaped by community resources and marketing.
“In the meantime, I recommend that individuals aim to cook simple meals when possible, enjoy packaged foods occasionally, and approach nutrition with both flexibility and awareness,” he says. “The goal is long-term balance, not guilt.”
Looking for more science-backed nutrition insights? Discover the latest tips for healthy, age-positive living every week!
