Consistency of the Initial and Updated Version of the Nutri-Score with Food-Based Dietary Guidelines: A French Perspective.

BACKGROUND: To help consumers to make healthier food choices, 7 European countries have implemented the front-of-pack nutrition label Nutri-Score. The algorithm was updated in 2022-2023 by the Nutri-Score European scientific committee, based on the current scientific knowledge. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the consistency of the newly internationally developed algorithm with the French food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and compare the respective performances of the initial and updated algorithm. METHODS: Three complementary French food composition databases were used to access extensive coverage of the food supply in France (n = 46,752): the Oqali, OpenFoodFacts, and CIQUAL databases. Based on the French FBDG, a list of 41 criteria was defined by which the consistency between French FBDG and the Nutri-Score was assessed (eg, consumption of fresh vegetables is promoted in FBDG, thus the Nutri-Score should rate favorably such products). RESULTS: Of all criteria, the initial algorithm met 63% (26/41) of them, whereas the revised algorithm met 85% (35/41) of them. Improvements achieved by the updated version of the Nutri-Score in alignment with the FBDG were particularly observed for high-fat products (ie, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds), sweet products (ie, ice creams and sweet spreads), salty products (ie, savory snacks and salted nuts), dairy beverages, and beverages with artificial sweeteners. CONCLUSIONS: The Nutri-Score's updated nutrient profiling system appears to rate foods more consistently regarding the French dietary guidelines and improved the currently existing system. This work supports the implementation of the updated nutrient profiling system underlying Nutri-Score.

Complementarity between the updated version of the front-of-pack nutrition label Nutri-Score and the food-processing NOVA classification.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the initial and the updated versions of the front-of-pack label Nutri-Score (related to the nutritional content) with the NOVA classification (related to the degree of food processing) at the food level. DESIGN: Using the OpenFoodFacts database - 129,950 food products - we assessed the complementarity between the Nutri-Score (initial and updated) with the NOVA classification through a correspondence analysis. Contingency tables between the two classification systems were used. SETTINGS: The food offer in France. PARTICIPANTS: Not applicable. RESULTS: With both versions (i.e. initial and updated) of the Nutri-Score, the majority of ultra-processed products received medium to poor Nutri-Score ratings (between 77·9 % and 87·5 % of ultra-processed products depending on the version of the algorithm). Overall, the update of the Nutri-Score algorithm led to a reduction in the number of products rated A and B and an increase in the number of products rated D or E for all NOVA categories, with unprocessed foods being the least impacted (-3·8 percentage points (-5·2 %) rated A or B and +1·3 percentage points (+12·9 %) rated D or E) and ultra-processed foods the most impacted (-9·8 percentage points (-43·4 %) rated A or B and +7·8 percentage points (+14·1 %) rated D or E). Among ultra-processed foods rated favourably with the initial Nutri-Score, artificially sweetened beverages, sweetened plant-based drinks and bread products were the most penalised categories by the revision of Nutri-Score while low-sugar flavoured waters, fruit and legume preparations were the least affected. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the update of the Nutri-Score reinforces its coherence with the NOVA classification, even though both systems measure two distinct health dimensions at the food level.

Cross-sectional comparisons of dietary indexes underlying nutrition labels: nutri-score, Canadian 'high in' labels and Diabetes Canada Clinical Practices (DCCP).

PURPOSE: To assess the cross-sectional association between dietary indexes (DI) that underlie, respectively, the Nutri-score (NS), the proposed Canadian 'High In' Symbol (CHIL) and the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines (DCCP) with food consumption, nutrient intakes and metabolic markers. METHODS: 1836 adults (18-74 years) participating in the representative ESTEBAN study, conducted in mainland France in 2014-2016, were included in the analysis. Food consumption was assessed with three repeated 24 h dietary recalls. Anthropometric measurements and biomarkers of metabolic risk (cholesterol-total, LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)-triglycerides, glucose) were obtained through a clinical examination and fasting blood draw. The DI were assessed for their association with food consumption, dietary intakes and metabolic biomarkers as quintiles and continuous variables using multi-adjusted linear regression. Heathier diets were assigned to lower scores. RESULTS: Correlations between scores ranged from + 0.62 between CHIL-DI and NS-DI to + 0.75 between NS-DI and DCCP-DI. All DIs discriminated individuals according to the nutritional quality of their diets through food consumption and nutrient intakes (healthier diets were associated with lower intakes of energy, added sugars and saturated fat; and with higher intakes of fiber, vitamins and minerals). NS-DI was associated with blood glucose (adjusted mean in Q1 = 5 vs. Q5 = 5.46 mmol/dl, ptrend = 0.001) and DCCP-DI was associated with BMI (Q1 = 24.8 kg/m2 vs. Q5 = 25.8 kg/m2, ptrend = 0.025), while CHIL showed no significant association with any anthropometric measures or biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides elements supporting the validity of the nutrient profiling systems underlying front-of-package nutrition labellings (FOPLs) to characterize the healthiness of diets.

Need for improvement of cardiovascular health: a clustering method to identify cardiovascular health profiles.

BACKGROUND: In France, the overall trend in the incidence of cardiovascular disease is unfavourable, especially in young subjects. This highlights the need to promote cardiovascular health by targeting the main risk factors. Social marketing campaigns to improve cardiovascular health should identify unhealthy behaviour and understand the target audience. The objective of this study was to identify poor cardiovascular health profiles in the French population using a clustering method. METHODS: Subjects aged 18-74 years with no history of cardiovascular disease were included from the Esteban cross-sectional survey (2014-16). To evaluate cardiovascular health, seven items were considered as defined by the American Heart Association: blood glucose, blood cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, cigarette smoking, diet and physical activity. Cardiovascular health profiles were identified from these seven items by combining multiple correspondence analysis with hierarchical clustering and partitioning. RESULTS: A total of 1673 subjects were included in the main analysis. Five cardiovascular health profiles were identified: two profiles corresponded to subjects with poor cardiovascular health (mainly older men with a low socioeconomic status), two to subjects with intermediate cardiovascular health (one mainly comprised of young women with a low socioeconomic status and the other of young subjects with a high socioeconomic status) and one to subjects with good cardiovascular health (mainly older women). CONCLUSION: This description of cardiovascular health profiles, which led to the identification and characterization of target audiences for future population-based prevention campaigns, should be the starting point for improving cardiovascular health in the French population.

Prospective association between adherence to the 2017 French dietary guidelines and risk of death, CVD and cancer in the NutriNet-Santé cohort.

Non-communicable diseases, such as cancers and CVD, represent a major public health concern, and diet is an important factor in their development. French dietary recommendations were updated in 2017, and an adherence score, the Programme National Nutrition Santé Guidelines Score (PNNS-GS2), has been developed and validated using a standardised procedure. The present study aimed to analyse the prospective association between PNNS-GS2 and the risk of death, cancer and CVD. Our sample consisted of French adults included in the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort (n 67 748, 75 634 and 80 269 for the risk of death, cancer and CVD, respectively). PNNS-GS2 (range: -∞ to 14·25) was calculated from the 24-h dietary records of the first 2 years of monitoring. Association between PNNS-GS2 (in quintiles, Q) and the risk of death, cancer and CVD was studied using Cox models adjusted for the main confounding factors. The sample included 78 % of women, aged on average 44·4 years (sd 14·6) with on average 6·6 (sd 2·3) dietary records. Average PNNS-GS2 was 1·5 (sd 3·4) and median follow-up was 6·6 years for cancers and 6·2 years for CVD and deaths. PNNS-GS2 was significantly associated with the risk of death (hazard ratio (HR)Q5vsQ1: 0·77 (95 % CI 0·60, 1·00), 828 cases), cancer (HRQ5vsQ1 = 0·80 (95 % CI 0·69, 0·92), 2577 cases) and CVD (HRQ5vsQ1 0·64 (95 % CI 0·51, 0·81), 964 cases). More specifically, PNNS-GS2 was significantly associated with colorectal and breast cancer risks but not prostate cancer risk. Our results suggest that strong adherence to the 2017 French dietary recommendations is associated with a lower risk of death, cancer or CVD. This reinforces the validity of these new recommendations and will help to promote their dissemination.

Ultra-processed food intake in association with BMI change and risk of overweight and obesity: A prospective analysis of the French NutriNet-Santé cohort.

BACKGROUND: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has increased drastically worldwide and already represents 50%-60% of total daily energy intake in several high-income countries. In the meantime, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen continuously during the last century. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between UPF consumption and the risk of overweight and obesity, as well as change in body mass index (BMI), in a large French cohort. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A total of 110,260 adult participants (≥18 years old, mean baseline age = 43.1 [SD 14.6] years; 78.2% women) from the French prospective population-based NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2019) were included. Dietary intakes were collected at baseline using repeated and validated 24-hour dietary records linked to a food composition database that included >3,500 different food items, each categorized according to their degree of processing by the NOVA classification. Associations between the proportion of UPF in the diet and BMI change during follow-up were assessed using linear mixed models. Associations with risk of overweight and obesity were assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. After adjusting for age, sex, educational level, marital status, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol intake, number of 24-hour dietary records, and energy intake, we observed a positive association between UPF intake and gain in BMI (ß Time × UPF = 0.02 for an absolute increment of 10 in the percentage of UPF in the diet, P < 0.001). UPF intake was associated with a higher risk of overweight (n = 7,063 overweight participants; hazard ratio (HR) for an absolute increase of 10% of UPFs in the diet = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.08-1.14; P < 0.001) and obesity (n = 3,066 incident obese participants; HR10% = 1.09 (1.05-1.13); P < 0.001). These results remained statistically significant after adjustment for the nutritional quality of the diet and energy intake. Study limitations include possible selection bias, potential residual confounding due to the observational design, and a possible item misclassification according to the level of processing. Nonetheless, robustness was tested and verified using a large panel of sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In this large observational prospective study, higher consumption of UPF was associated with gain in BMI and higher risks of overweight and obesity. Public health authorities in several countries recently started to recommend privileging unprocessed/minimally processed foods and limiting UPF consumption. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03335644 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03335644).

Programme National Nutrition Santé - guidelines score 2 (PNNS-GS2): development and validation of a diet quality score reflecting the 2017 French dietary guidelines.

Following the revision of the French dietary guidelines in 2017, the Programme National Nutrition Santé - guidelines score (PNNS-GS), built upon previous recommendations released in 2001, needed to be updated. This cross-sectional study thus aimed to develop and validate the PNNS-GS2, a predefined food-based dietary index based on the 2017-revised French nutritional guidelines. A total of 80 965 participants recruited among French adults (≥18 years old) in the NutriNet-Santé web-based prospective cohort were included. Collected data included repeated 24 h-dietary records over a 2-year period, sociodemographic and, for 16 938 subjects, clinical and biological data. Weighting and cut-offs of the PNNS-GS2 components were collegially arbitrated by nutrition experts who participated in the 2017 revision of the guidelines. Sociodemographic, nutritional and clinical and biological factors were investigated according to quintiles (Q) of PNNS-GS2 (theoretical ranging -17 to +13·5). Mean PNNS-GS2 was 2·1 (sd 3·1) in women and -0·3 (sd 3·6) in men. Higher PNNS-GS2 (higher adherence to 2017 dietary guidelines) was positively associated with (mean difference between Q5 and Q1 in women/men) age (+8·4/+4·7 years), education (+3·9/+7·4 % of university level), physical activity (+13·3/+3·5 % of ≥60 min/d) and non-smoking (+9·7/+13·7 %), and was negatively associated with mean blood pressure (-3·0/-2·8 mmHg), plasma LDL-cholesterol (-0·07/-0·06 g/l) and TAG (-0·10/-0·16 g/l) concentrations. Higher PNNS-GS2 was also associated with higher intake of favourable nutrients, e.g. n-3 PUFA (+0·2/+0·2 % of energy intake), fibres (+8·7/+10·7 g) and vitamin C (+36·6/+43·8 mg). Associations between PNNS-GS2 and sociodemographic and nutritional factors arguing for its validation are coherent. Further studies are needed to evaluate its association with mortality and morbidity.

Estimating sodium intake from spot urine samples at population level: a validation and application study in French adults.

The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the predictive INTERSALT equation using spot urine samples to estimate 24-h urinary Na (24-hUNa) excretion and daily Na intake among the French adult population. Among 193 French adults ('validation sample'), we assessed the validity by comparing predicted 24-hUNa excretion from spot urine and measured 24-hUNa excretion from 24-h urine collections. Spearman correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots were used and we calculated calibration coefficients. In a nationally representative sample of 1720 French adults ('application sample'), the calibrated predictive equation was then applied to the spot urine Na values to estimate 24-hUNa excretion and daily Na intake. In that sample, predicted Na intake was compared with that estimated from 24-h dietary recalls. Results were adjusted and corrected using calibration coefficients. In the validation sample, the measured 24-hUNa excretion was on average 14 % higher than the predicted 24-hUNa (+13 % for men and +16 % for women). Correlation between measured and predicted 24-hUNa excretion was moderate (Spearman r 0·42), and the Bland-Altman plots showed underestimation at lower excretion level and overestimation at higher level. In the application study, estimated daily salt intake was 8·0 g/d using dietary recalls, 8·1 g/d using predicted INTERSALT equation and 9·3 g/d after applying calibration coefficients calculated in the validation study. Despite overall underestimation of 24-hUNa excretion by spot urinary Na, the use of predictive INTERSALT equation remains an acceptable alternative in monitoring global Na intake/excreted in the French population but its use is not advised at the individual level.

New cancer cases attributable to diet among adults aged 30-84 years in France in 2015.

This study aimed to estimate the number of new cancer cases attributable to diet among adults aged 30-84 years in France in 2015, where convincing or probable evidence of a causal association exists, and, in a secondary analysis, where at least limited but suggestive evidence of a causal association exists. Cancer cases attributable to diet were estimated assuming a 10-year latency period. Dietary intake data were obtained from the 2006 French National Nutrition and Health Survey. Counterfactual scenarios of dietary intake were based on dietary guidelines. Corresponding risk relation estimates were obtained from meta-analyses, cohort studies and one case-control study. Cancer incidence data were obtained from the French Network of Cancer Registries. Nationally, unfavourable dietary habits led to 16 930 new cancer cases, representing 5·4 % of all new cancer cases. Low intake of fruit and dietary fibre was the largest contributor to this burden, being responsible for 4787 and 4389 new cancer cases, respectively. If this is expanded to dietary component and cancer pairs with at least limited but suggestive evidence of a causal association, 36 049 new cancer cases, representing 11·6 % of all new cancer cases, were estimated to be attributable to diet. These findings suggest that unfavourable dietary habits lead to a substantial number of new cancer cases in France; however, there is a large degree of uncertainty as to the number of cancers attributable to diet, including through indirect mechanisms such as obesity, and therefore additional research is needed to determine how diet affects cancer risk.

Comparison of Dietary Intakes Between a Large Online Cohort Study (Etude NutriNet-Santé) and a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study (Etude Nationale Nutrition Santé) in France: Addressing the Issue of Generalizability in E-Epidemiology.

Despite some advantages over traditional methods, Web-based studies elicit concerns about generalizability. To address this issue, we compared dietary intakes between an electronic (e-) cohort study and a nationally representative survey. We studied 49,443 French volunteers aged 18-74 years recruited during 2009-2010 in the NutriNet-Santé Study, a general population-based e-cohort study. The Etude Nationale Nutrition Santé (ENNS; 2006-2007), a cross-sectional study with a nationally representative sample of 2,754 French adults aged 18-74 years, served as the reference data set. Reported dietary intakes from three 24-hour dietary records were weighted and compared between the two studies via Student t tests for mean location, using a >5% cutoff for establishing practically meaningful differences. We observed similar intakes as regards carbohydrates, total lipids, protein, and total energy. However, intakes of fruit and vegetables, fiber, vitamins B6, B9, C, D, and E, iron, and magnesium were higher in the e-cohort than in the ENNS, while intakes of alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages were lower in the e-cohort. Significant sex-specific differences were observed regarding vitamins A and B12, zinc, and potassium. True intake differences, mode effects, and volunteer bias might each contribute to explaining the findings. In the future, repeated use of the same tool in large e-cohorts with heterogeneous dietary exposures could serve research purposes and supplement group-level monitoring of dietary trends.

Validation of a Web-based, self-administered, non-consecutive-day dietary record tool against urinary biomarkers.

New technologies are promising for the use of short-term instruments for dietary data collection; however, innovative tools should be validated against objective biomarkers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the validity of a Web-based, self-administered dietary record (DR) tool using protein, K and Na intakes against 24 h urinary biomarkers (24 h U). Of the total participants, 199 adult volunteers (104 men and 95 women, mean age 50·5 (23-83 years)) of the NutriNet-Santé Study were included in the protocol. They completed three non-consecutive-day DR and two 24 h U on the first and third DR days. Relative differences between reported (DR) and measured (24 h U) intakes were calculated from the log ratio (DR/24 h U) for protein, K and Na intakes: -14·4,+2·6 and -2·1 % for men; and -13·9, -3·7 and -8·3 % for women, respectively. The correlations between reported and true intakes were 0·61, 0·78 and 0·47 for men and 0·64, 0·42 and 0·37 for women for protein, K and Na, respectively. Attenuation factors, that represent attenuation of the true diet-disease relationship due to measurement error (a value closer to 1 indicating lower attenuation), ranged from 0·23 (Na, women) to 0·60 (K, men). We showed that the Web-based DR tool used in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study performs well in estimating protein and K intakes and fairly well in estimating Na intake. Furthermore, three non-consecutive-day DR appear to be valid for estimating usual intakes of protein and K, although caution is advised regarding the generalisability of these findings to other nutrients and general population.

Discriminating nutritional quality of foods using the 5-Color nutrition label in the French food market: consistency with nutritional recommendations.

PURPOSE: Our objectives were to assess the performance of the 5-Colour nutrition label (5-CNL) front-of-pack nutrition label based on the Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system to discriminate nutritional quality of foods currently on the market in France and its consistency with French nutritional recommendations. METHODS: Nutritional composition of 7777 foods available on the French market collected from the web-based collaborative project Open Food Facts were retrieved. Distribution of products across the 5-CNL categories according to food groups, as arranged in supermarket shelves was assessed. Distribution of similar products from different brands in the 5-CNL categories was also assessed. Discriminating performance was considered as the number of color categories present in each food group. In the case of discrepancies between the category allocation and French nutritional recommendations, adaptations of the original score were proposed. RESULTS: Overall, the distribution of foodstuffs in the 5-CNL categories was consistent with French recommendations: 95.4% of 'Fruits and vegetables', 72.5% of 'Cereals and potatoes' were classified as 'Green' or 'Yellow' whereas 86.0% of 'Sugary snacks' were classified as 'Pink' or 'Red'. Adaptations to the original FSA score computation model were necessary for beverages, added fats and cheese in order to be consistent with French official nutritional recommendations. CONCLUSION: The 5-CNL label displays a high performance in discriminating nutritional quality of foods across food groups, within a food group and for similar products from different brands. Adaptations from the original model were necessary to maintain consistency with French recommendations and high performance of the system.

Association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with physical activity domains and types.

Lockdown imposed in the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak represented a specific setting where activity was restricted but still possible. The aim was to investigate the cross-sectional associations between physical activity (PA) and SARS-CoV-2 infection in a French population-based cohort. Participants completed a PA questionnaire. PA was classified into: (i) total PA; (ii) aerobic PA by intensity; (iii) strengthening PA; (iv) PA by domain and type; and (vii) by location. Sedentary time was also recorded. Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was assessed. Multivariable logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric data, health status, and adherence to recommended protective anti-SARS-CoV-2 behaviours were computed. From 22,165 participants included, 21,074 (95.1%) and 1091 (4.9%) had a negative and positive ELISA-S test result, respectively. Total PA, vigorous PA, leisure-time PA, household PA, outdoor PA and indoor PA were all associated with lower probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Observations made in such a setting shed light on PA possibilities in a context of restricted mobility, where the health benefits of PA should not be overlooked. Along with already well-established benefits of PA for non-communicable disease prevention, these findings provide additional evidence for policies promoting all types of PA as a lever for population health.

Physical activity patterns in the French 18-74-year-old population: French Nutrition and Health Survey (Etude Nationale Nutrition Santé, ENNS) 2006-2007.

OBJECTIVE: To describe detailed physical activity and sedentary behaviour in French adults across physical activity categories. DESIGN: The French Nutrition and Health Survey (Etude Nationale Nutrition Santé, ENNS), conducted in 2006-2007, was a national cross-sectional survey based on three-stage random sampling. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to classify participants into three physical activity categories. Time spent in a sitting position and time spent in front of a screen were used as markers of sedentary behaviour. SETTING: France. SUBJECTS: Adults (n 2971) aged 18 to 74 years were included. RESULTS: Overall, 29·5 % of men and 23·6 % of women were classified into the high-IPAQ category, while 36·1 % of men and 37·5 % of women were in the low-IPAQ category. For each intensity level of physical activity (vigorous intensity, moderate intensity or walking), the number of active days per week decreased from the high- to the low-IPAQ category and daily duration of physical activity was longer in the high-IPAQ category than in the other two categories; 6 % of adults declared neither vigorous nor moderate nor walking activities. CONCLUSIONS: For most adults in the low-IPAQ category, an increasing number of active days per week would be sufficient to attain the moderate-IPAQ category. This should be taken into account in public health initiatives aimed at promoting physical activity.

Prevalence of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in the French Population: Results and Evolution between Two Cross-Sectional Population-Based Studies, 2006 and 2016.

Insufficient physical activity and sedentary behaviors (SB) are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Monitoring the prevalence of physical activity (PA) and SB is essential to meet the health needs of the population. This article presents the prevalence of PA and SB in the French population and their evolution during the last decade. Data come from two cross-sectional surveys, representative of the population in France, the "Etude Nationale Nutrition Santé" 2006-2007 and the Esteban study 2014-2016, and were collected through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire for adults, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and specific questionnaire for children. In 2014-2016, 71% of men and 53% of women met the PA recommendations (5 or more days per week with a moderate-intensity physical activity of at least 30 min per day). Since 2006-2007, PA has decreased for women, but increased for men; 80% of adults reported a daily leisure screen time of at least three hours in 2014-2016, in strong growth since 2006-2007. Among children, only 51% of boys and 33% of girls were meeting the PA recommendations (at least 60 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily). PA decreased significantly after the age of 10. Three-quarters of children spent two hours or more in front of a screen every day. These results show a lack of PA, in particular among women and girls, a high prevalence of SB in the French population, and a deterioration of these behaviours between 2006 and 2016.

Correlates of Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors during the COVID-19 Lockdown in France: The NutriNet-Santé Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 lockdowns represent natural experiments where limitations of movement impact on lifestyle behaviors. The aim of this paper was to assess how lockdowns have influenced physical activity and sedentary behaviors among French adults. METHODS: 32,409 adults from the NutriNet-Santé study filled out questionnaires in April 2020 (the first 2 weeks after the start of lockdown) and in May 2020 (2 weeks before the lockdown ended). Participants were asked about changes in physical activity level and sitting time, types of physical activity performed, and main reasons for change. RESULTS: For decreased physical activity, similar rates were found at the beginning and end of the lockdown (58 and 55%-56 and 53%, in women and men, respectively). For increased physical activity, the figures were lower (20 and 14%-23 and 18%, in women and men, respectively). The participants with a decreasing physical activity evolution were older and more likely to be living in urban areas. The main reasons for (i) decreased physical activity were limitations of movement and not liking indoor exercise, (ii) increased physical activity were to stay physically fit and healthy. Physical activity changes were inversely associated with reported depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviors are heterogenous for both genders during the lockdown.

Consumption of Ultra-Processed Food and Its Association with Sociodemographic Characteristics and Diet Quality in a Representative Sample of French Adults.

The present study aims to describe ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in a representative sample of French adults and to evaluate the association between UPF consumption and socioeconomic characteristics and nutritional profile of the diet. This is a cross-sectional study using food consumption data from the Étude Nationale Nutrition Santé (ENNS), conducted with 2642 participants (18-74 years old), between February 2006 and March 2007 in France. Dietary data were collected through three 24-h dietary recalls. All food and beverages were classified according to the NOVA classification. The energy contribution of NOVA food groups to total energy intake was presented by categories of sociodemographic characteristics. Linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between the percentage of UPF in the diet with nutritional indicators. The mean daily energy consumption of the adult French population was 2111 kcal, of which 31.1% came from UPF. This percentage was higher among younger individuals, and in the urban area, and lower among individuals with incomplete high school and individuals who were retired. The consumption of UPF was positively associated with the dietary energy density and the dietary contents of total carbohydrates, free sugar, and total and saturated fat, as well as with inadequate dietary energy density, saturated fat, free sugar, and fiber intakes.

Modelling the number of avoidable new cancer cases in France attributable to alcohol consumption by following official recommendations: a simulation study.

AIMS: To predict the effects of perfect adherence to the French alcohol consumption guidelines, a maximum of 10 standard alcoholic drinks per week with no more than two standard alcoholic drinks per day, during a 36-year period (2014-50). DESIGN: This simulation study is an adaption of the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model. The dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable cancer risks was defined by cancer site-specific risk functions, each modelled as a continuous risk. These estimates were used to compute the potential impact fraction (PIF) associated with alcohol consumption by cancer site. SETTING: The French general adult population during a 36-year period (2014-50). PARTICIPANTS: For the baseline scenario, the current distribution of consumption levels, the counterfactual scenario and perfect adherence to the French alcohol consumption guidelines, we generated for each gender and age group 1000 randomly distributed alcohol consumption values from calibrated group-specific gamma distribution. MEASUREMENTS: The predicted number of new cancer cases among men and women in France between 2015 and 2050 that could have been prevented by following the French government's alcohol consumption guidelines. FINDINGS: The simulation predicted that perfect adherence to the French government's alcohol consumption guidelines would prevent, on average, an estimated 15 952 cancer cases per year after the PIF reached its full effect, which would have represented 4.5% of new cancer cases in 2015. The number of averted cancer cases over the study period were highest for oral cavity, oropharynx and hypopharynx cancer (respectively, 118 462, 95% CI = 113 803-123 022 and 11 167, 95% CI = 10 149-12 229] for men and women; liver and intrahepatic bile ducts cancer (123 447, 95% CI = 112 581-133 404 and 2825, 95% CI = 2208,4095); colorectal cancer (89 859, 95% CI = 84 651-95 355 and 12 847, 95% CI = 11 545-14 245); and female breast cancer (61 649, 95% CI = 56 330-67 452). CONCLUSION: This simulation study of the French general population predicted that perfect adherence to the French government's alcohol consumption guidelines (no more than 10 standard alcoholic drinks per week and two per day) would prevent almost 16 000 cancer cases per year.

Association between adherence to the French dietary guidelines and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: French food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) were updated in 2017. The objective of this prospective study was to estimate the associations between the Programme National Nutrition Santé-guidelines score 2 (PNNS-GS2), reflecting the level of adherence to the 2017 FBDG, and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: A total of 79 205 French adult participants (mean age: 41.5 y [SD = 14.5]; 78.5% were women; 65% were postgraduate) from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2019) were included. Dietary intakes were collected using repeated 24-h dietary records. The PNNS-GS2 (theorical range: -∞ to 14.25), including six adequacy components and seven moderation components as well as a penalization on energy intake, was computed. The association between the PNNS-GS2 (as quintiles [Q]) and T2D risk was estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models accounting for sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle and health-related factors. RESULTS: During an average follow-up of 6.7 y (536 679 person-years), 676 T2D cases occurred. In the multiadjusted model, participants with the highest PNNS-GS2 (higher adherence to the 2017 FBDG), compared with those with the lowest (lower adherence to FBDG), exhibited a 49% reduction in risk of T2D (HRQ5 versus Q1: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.69). Body mass index accounted for up to 27% of the main association. The healthy profiles of the cohort's participants may have reduced statistical power. CONCLUSIONS: In this large, prospective cohort study, a higher adherence to the French 2017 FBDG was strongly and inversely associated with the risk of developing T2D. Such analysis should be confirmed in other settings, but in terms of public health and nutritional policy, this study supports the relevance of the 2017 French FBDG.