ProcesedFoods: Ultra-Processed vs Unprocessed Food Diets

In Lock5Data: Datasets for "Statistics: UnLocking the Power of Data"

Ultra-Processed vs Unprocessed Food Diets

Description

Results from an experiment comparing diets with ultra-processed food to unprocessed foods

Format

A data frame with 20 observations on the following 14 variables.

WeightGain

Difference in weight gain

Kcal

Difference in average daily caloric consumption

Sugar

Difference in average daily sugar consumption in grams

Fiber

Difference in average daily fiber consumption in grams

Protein

Difference in average daily protein consumption in grams

Fat

Difference in average daily fat consumption in grams

Carbs

Difference in average daily carbohydrate consumption in grams

Ghrelin

Difference in active ghrelin hormone level

Leptin

Difference in leptin hormone level

PYY

Difference in PYY hormone level

Glucagon

Difference in glucagon hormone level

Hungry

Difference in average self-reported measure of feeling hungry

Satisfied

Difference in average self-reported measure of feeling satisfied

Fullness

Difference in average self-reported measure of feeling full

EatingCapacity

Difference in average self-reported measure of feeling hungry

Details

Twenty adults were admitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and had all of their food supplied for 4 weeks. Each was given a diet of ultra-processed foods for two weeks, and a diet of unprocessed foods for two weeks, with the order of the diet randomized. The diets as presented were matched for calories, sugar, fat, fiber, and micronutrients, but then participants could choose how much of each food to eat. The cases are the 20 participants, and the variables give the difference in responses, ultra-processed response - unprocessed response, for each person.

Source

Hall KD, et al. (2019). “Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake," Cell Metabolism, 30(1): 67-77. Thanks to the author for sharing the data.

Lock5Data documentation built on Jan. 8, 2026, 9:09 a.m.