Questão 24

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Would you eat food that's been predigested?

Experts say that's what we're doing when we consume many popular packaged foods – those breads, cereals, snack chips and frozen meals that have been refined, heated, melted, shaped, and packed with additives.

A growing body of(*) research suggests that the extent of industrial processing that your food undergoes can alter its effects on your body, determining its impact on your appetite, hormones, weight gain, and likelihood (**) of developing obesity and chronic diseases.

Almost all foods undergo some level of processing. Even fresh vegetables like baby carrots are washed, peeled, cut and packed by machines at processing facilities before they arrive at grocery stores. But ultra-processed foods are transformed from simple ingredients into industrial products with unusual combinations of flavors, additives, and textures, many of which are not found in nature.

Across the globe, governments are embracing the idea that ultra-processed foods are a big contributor to poor health.

(Anahad O'Connor and Aaron Steckelberg. Melted, pounded, extruded: Why many ultra-processed foods are unhealthy. https://www.washingtonpost.com. 27.06.2023. Acesso em 30.07.2023. Adaptado)

(*) A growing body of: quantidade relevante.

(**) likelihood: propensão.

Entre as informações apresentadas no texto, sobre alimentos ultraprocessados, inclui-se o fato de eles