World Health Day 2022: How ultra-processed foods affect health and environment; sustainable ways to remain healthy

World Health Day is a global awareness day observed every year on April 7 to shift focus towards the health issues affecting people across the world. Keeping in mind the current pandemic, a polluted planet, and an increasing incidence of diseases, the theme of World Health Day 2022 is ‘Our Planet, Our Health’.
The World Health Organisation noted that more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes including the climate crisis, which is the single biggest health threat concerning people across the globe. As such, WHO will focus “global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet health and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being,” it said.
As we highlight the collective importance of keeping the planet and ourselves happy today, let’s also understand how the rising consumption of ultra-processed foods is not just detrimental to health but also to the environment.

Impact of ultra-processed foods on health and the environment
According to Dr Anish Desai, nutraceutical physician and founder, IntelliMed Healthcare Solutions, ultra-processed foods account for around 25-60 per cent of daily energy intake in many countries. “Processed foods such as baked packaged goods, snacks, carbonated drinks, cereals with sugar, ready to eat foods containing additives, dry vegetable soups, reconstituted meats, and fish foods generally constitute high amounts of processed sugar, salt, fat but lack nutrients such as vitamins, micronutrients, and fibre,” he said.
He added that consuming such foods can lead to obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and cancer.
Apart from affecting our health, they leave a severe adverse impact on the planet, too. In a research paper published the British Medical Association, it was suggested that consumption of processed food over three decades lead to a 21 per cent increase in diet-related greenhouse gas emissions.
For every nutrient present in soy, there are two antinutrients present that are harmful to our health, the nutrition said. (Source: Pixabay)
Elucidating further, Dr Desai said, “Rapid rise of ultra-processed foods in human diets will impact the diversity of plant species available for human consumption, as the production of ultra-processed foods involves greater use of ingredients extracted from a handful of high-yielding plant species (such as maize, wheat, soy and oilseed crops) which means that animal-sourced ingredients used in many ultra-processed foods are often derived from confined animals fed on the same crops.”
“Another area of concern is that ultra-processed food production uses large quantities of natural resources like land, water, energy, herbicides and fertilizers, causing environmental degradation from greenhouse gas emissions and accumulation,” he added.
Agreed functional nutrition Mugdha Pradhan, CEO and Founder, iThrive. “Processed foods harm the environment as they leave behind a relatively high carbon footprint. In the process of production of these foods, energy sources are overexploited. Also, they use unnatural and artificial methods to produce them,” she explained.
Further, she shifted focus to animal cruelty involved in the production of ultra-processed foods. “Processed milk and meat are produced giving estrogen injection and antibiotics to animals.”
Sustainable methods for better health and planet
Here are some sustainable health tips you must adopt in your lifestyle, as suggested Pradhan.

*Eat organ meat as they are high in nutrition and eggs. But, ensure to eat free-range meat.*Stop using seed and vegetable oils. Instead use ghee, butter, or coconut oil.*Stop eating soy. For every nutrient present in soy, there are two antinutrients present that are harmful to our health.*Ensure to include movement in your daily routine. A sedentary lifestyle can give rise to many health issues.
The biggest impact of implementing sustainable habits in health care, according to Dr Desai, is in focusing on the environmental and social elements of health at the source: establishing healthy living and workspaces. “Incorporating sustainability into your lifestyle means becoming aware of the impact of your choices in food, products, and energy use,” he said.
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