Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the significant health risks associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), linking it to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and increased mortality rates. It emphasizes the need for dietary guidelines to recommend a reduction in UPF intake due to its adverse health effects [2][3][12]. Group 1: Research Findings - A recent study published in Nature Medicine indicates that consuming UPF can hinder weight loss efforts, even when adhering to national dietary guidelines. In contrast, a diet based on minimally processed foods (MPF) may facilitate weight loss [3][6]. - The study involved 55 adults following UK dietary guidelines, where participants consumed UPF for 8 weeks and MPF for another 8 weeks. Results showed an average weight loss of 0.88 kg during the UPF phase compared to 1.84 kg during the MPF phase [11][12]. - The research found that while both diets led to weight loss, the MPF diet resulted in significant improvements in cardiovascular health indicators, such as total fat, body fat percentage, visceral fat, and triglycerides, which were not observed during the UPF diet [11][12]. Group 2: Implications of Food Processing - The study suggests that the degree of food processing affects weight management and cardiometabolic health, indicating that even healthy dietary guidelines may not mitigate the negative impacts of UPF [12][14]. - The mechanisms behind the weight changes between UPF and MPF diets remain unclear, but factors such as texture, structure, and the presence of additives in UPF may lead to increased calorie intake and delayed satiety [14]. - The research underscores the importance of considering food processing as a unique dimension of dietary quality, suggesting that policies focusing solely on reformulating processed foods to meet nutritional standards may overlook the behavioral and physiological impacts of food processing methods [14][15].