Most Americans get more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, the kind that are very tasty but often full of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, according to a new federal report.
This is the first time the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially confirmed how high these levels are, based on diet data collected from August 2021 to August 2023.
Ultra-processed foods include burgers, sweet baked goods, salty snacks, pizza, and sugary drinks, all of which are popular across the United States.
According to the CDC report, about 55% of calories eaten by Americans aged 1 and older came from ultra-processed foods. For adults, it was about 53%, while for children and teenagers, it reached almost 62%.
Young children ate slightly fewer ultra-processed foods compared to teenagers. Among adults, those aged 60 and older consumed less than younger adults. Low-income adults were found to eat more of these foods than those with higher incomes.
“This isn’t surprising,” said Anne Williams, a CDC nutrition expert and co-author of the report.
However, she added that it was surprising to see a small drop in ultra-processed food consumption over the last decade. For example, adult intake fell from 56% in 2013–2014, and for children, it dropped from 66% in 2017–2018.
Williams said she couldn't say for sure what caused the drop.
But Andrea Deierlein, a nutrition expert at New York University who was quoted by AP, said, “There may be more awareness of how harmful these foods can be. People are trying, at least in some populations, to eat less of them.”
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also raised alarms. “We are poisoning ourselves, and it’s coming principally from these ultra-processed foods,” he told Fox News, as reported by AP.
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
The CDC used the Nova classification system, which is widely used around the world. This system groups foods into four levels based on how much they are processed.
Ultra-processed foods usually:
Why Is This Important?
Ultra-processed foods have long been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, though many studies could not prove that these foods directly cause these conditions.
A small but important study showed that even when people ate the same number of calories, they gained more weight when eating ultra-processed foods compared to less processed foods.
Another new study in the journal Nature found that people lost twice as much weight eating minimally processed foods like chicken, pasta, fruit, and vegetables, compared to eating processed ready meals or protein bars, even if the meals had similar nutrients.
What Can People Do?
Deierlein said people should try to eat less ultra-processed food where possible.
For example, instead of instant oatmeal that contains added sugar and preservatives, people could use plain oats and sweeten them with natural honey or maple syrup.
“I do think that there are less-processed options available for many foods,” she said, as quoted by AP.
Inputs from AP
This is the first time the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially confirmed how high these levels are, based on diet data collected from August 2021 to August 2023.
Ultra-processed foods include burgers, sweet baked goods, salty snacks, pizza, and sugary drinks, all of which are popular across the United States.
According to the CDC report, about 55% of calories eaten by Americans aged 1 and older came from ultra-processed foods. For adults, it was about 53%, while for children and teenagers, it reached almost 62%.
Young children ate slightly fewer ultra-processed foods compared to teenagers. Among adults, those aged 60 and older consumed less than younger adults. Low-income adults were found to eat more of these foods than those with higher incomes.
“This isn’t surprising,” said Anne Williams, a CDC nutrition expert and co-author of the report.
However, she added that it was surprising to see a small drop in ultra-processed food consumption over the last decade. For example, adult intake fell from 56% in 2013–2014, and for children, it dropped from 66% in 2017–2018.
Williams said she couldn't say for sure what caused the drop.
But Andrea Deierlein, a nutrition expert at New York University who was quoted by AP, said, “There may be more awareness of how harmful these foods can be. People are trying, at least in some populations, to eat less of them.”
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also raised alarms. “We are poisoning ourselves, and it’s coming principally from these ultra-processed foods,” he told Fox News, as reported by AP.
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
The CDC used the Nova classification system, which is widely used around the world. This system groups foods into four levels based on how much they are processed.Ultra-processed foods usually:
- Contain little or no whole foods
- Are high in salt, sugar, and bad fats
- Are low in fibre
- Are “hyper-palatable” (very tasty and easy to overeat)
Why Is This Important?
Ultra-processed foods have long been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, though many studies could not prove that these foods directly cause these conditions.A small but important study showed that even when people ate the same number of calories, they gained more weight when eating ultra-processed foods compared to less processed foods.
Another new study in the journal Nature found that people lost twice as much weight eating minimally processed foods like chicken, pasta, fruit, and vegetables, compared to eating processed ready meals or protein bars, even if the meals had similar nutrients.
What Can People Do?
Deierlein said people should try to eat less ultra-processed food where possible.For example, instead of instant oatmeal that contains added sugar and preservatives, people could use plain oats and sweeten them with natural honey or maple syrup.
“I do think that there are less-processed options available for many foods,” she said, as quoted by AP.
Inputs from AP
