Webinar: Ultra-processed food consumption, depression, and diabetes: results from the CARTaGENE study
About the webinar
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a widespread chronic condition with severe consequences, including complications affecting blood vessels and organs, disability, and premature death. Research indicates that depression can significantly raise the risk of developing T2D, potentially through lifestyle and biological factors. Additionally, our modern diet presents a challenge with the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), which have been linked to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
In this webinar, Dr. Norbert Schmitz and Dr. Akankasha Sen will share the synergistic effects of depression and UPF consumption on T2D risk and the risk of developing diabetes-specific complications for those with type 2 diabetes. Using longitudinal data from the CARTaGENE cohort, Dr. Schmitz and colleagues demonstrate whether the combination of these factors exacerbates the likelihood of developing T2D beyond their individual effects and whether other mechanisms affect the association, like smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.
Download Dr. Norbert Schmitz’s slide deckDownload Download Dr. Akankasha Sen’s slide deckDownloadAbout the presenters
Dr. Norbert Schmitz is Professor and Director of the Department of Population-Based Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at Tübingen University in Germany. Previously, he was a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health at McGill University and a Senior Investigator at the Montreal Diabetes Research Centre in Montreal, QC, Canada. His research is concerned with the relationship between mental disorders and physical chronic conditions. Recent research has focused on psychological, behavioural and biological factors as a) risk factors for type 2 diabetes and b) risk factors for poor outcomes in type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Akankasha Sen holds a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition from McGill University, Montreal. During her doctoral studies, she joined the Norbert Schmitz research group at Douglas Mental Health University Institute, where she developed a keen interest in exploring the behavioural factors contributing to the complex interplay between mental and physical health. Her research focused on utilizing CARTaGENE data to investigate the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption, depression, and the risk of diabetes and its complications. Akankasha’s thesis, titled “Ultra-Processed Foods Consumption, Depression, and the Risk of Diabetes and its Complications in a Population-Based Sample,” underscores her dedication to unravelling the intricate connections between diet, mental health, and chronic diseases within a population-based context.
Related publications
- Sen, A., Brazeau, A.S., Deschênes, S., Ramiro Melgar-Quiñonez, H., Schmitz, N. (2023). The role of ultra-processed food consumption and depression on type 2 diabetes incidence: a prospective community study in Quebec, Canada. Public Health Nutrition, 26(11), 2294-2303.
- Sen, A., Brazeau, A.S., Deschênes, S., Ramiro Melgar-Quiñonez, H., Schmitz, N. (2024). Ultra-processed foods consumption, depression, and the risk of diabetes complications in the CARTaGENE project: a prospective cohort study in Quebec, Canada. Frontiers in Endocrinology (Lausanne), 14, 1273433.