Ultraprocessed Foods
Medical professionals are increasing awareness about the health risks of ultraprocessed foods, while top food researchers are urging the government to act quickly to regulate the industry.
Various groups of professionals have launched campaigns to educate consumers and government officials about the impact ultraprocessed foods are having across the country.
In one instance, leading food researchers teamed up to contribute 17 articles to a special issue in July of the American Journal of Public Health that focused on concerns about the health harms associated with ultra-processed foods.
While these foods are tasty, convenient, and usually inexpensive, studies suggest that consuming a high amount of ultraprocessed foods increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, obesity, and possibly dementia in older adults.
Additionally, a review of meta-analyses published in The BMJ found that diets high in ultraprocessed foods are linked to more than 30 health conditions.
Although the government’s recent dietary guidelines advise against eating highly processed foods, researchers believe public policy is needed to change the food industry instead of simply telling consumers to avoid ultraprocessed foods and adopt healthier eating habits.
Researchers say the government’s failure to take action makes it difficult for consumers who want healthier food choices because companies make a lot of money from producing ultraprocessed foods.
“These are among the most profitable products in the supermarket; the system is rigged,” Marion Nestle, a food politics scholar, told Stat News. “If you go into a supermarket wanting to eat healthfully, you’re fighting the entire system on your own.”
What Are Ultraprocessed Foods?
Most commercial foods are processed, meaning they have been altered from their original form. Ultraprocessed foods are heavily altered through industrial processing and loaded with unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar. They also have additives such as artificial flavors, artificial colors, and emulsifiers (food additives that help mix two or more ingredients that normally don’t mix, like oil and water). In addition, ultraprocessed foods are usually void of dietary fiber, vitamins, and other healthy ingredients.
“Ultraprocessed foods are clever manipulations of mostly unhealthy ingredients titrated to appeal to common cravings—tasty by design, but it’s all a trick,” Dr. Stephen Devries, a preventive cardiologist, explained in the American Medical Association’s What Doctors Want Patients to Know series.
For example, because of evolution, our bodies are naturally drawn to the sweetness of fruit because of its associated nutritional value, according to Dr. Devries, who is also the executive director of the educational nonprofit Gaples Institute in Chicago. That’s why “ultraprocessed foods draw on the craving for sweetness but are largely devoid of the nutritional value historically associated with that taste,” he explained.
The physician noted that preservative chemicals and certain fats help to enhance the shelf life of these products.
As a result, “ultraprocessed foods are better at preserving shelf life than human life,” Dr. Devries said.
Ultraprocessed Foods That Can Cause Weight Gain
You don’t need to eliminate processed foods entirely since many healthy foods, like yogurt, canned beans, and whole-grain bread, are processed. However, eating too much ultraprocessed food can lead to weight gain because it contains preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and other additives.
According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, adults consumed 57 percent of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods between 2001 and 2018. This explains “the record-breaking prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and all of the adverse health consequences that follow,” Dr. Devries said.
“Ultraprocessed foods are the perfect storm to promote overconsumption and weight gain: They are laboratory engineered to maximize appeal, are calorie-dense, and have little or no fiber or other healthful nutrients.”
Among the ultraprocessed foods that can lead to weight gain when consumed daily are:
1. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Sugary drinks like soda, sweetened coffee, and energy drinks often have preservatives, artificial flavors, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners.
The calorie intake from sugar-sweetened drinks can accumulate quickly. For example, one can of soda contains about 150 calories and 40 grams of sugar.
2. Ultra-Processed Meats
A hot dog with a bun can have over 300 calories and 19 grams of fat. Processed meat like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and deli meats may be delicious, but they are often loaded with sodium, saturated fat, and calories. This is because processed meats are preserved through smoking, salting, curing, or adding preservatives, like nitrates.
3. Frozen Ready-Made Meals
Frozen meals are convenient, especially on busy days. But it’s best to check the nutrition label first because many meals have preservatives, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, and high amounts of sodium and unhealthy fats. What’s more, the calories in some meals can range from 350 to 500 or more due to the high amounts of fat and sodium.
4. Crunchy snacks and sides
Chips, crackers, and other crunchy snacks are tasty and pair well with other foods, like hamburgers and chips and crackers and cheese. However, they are also full of preservatives, artificial flavors, emulsifiers, saturated fat, salt, and calories.
For instance, one serving of potato chips (typically around 11 chips) has 160 calories and 10 grams of fat.
5. Packaged cookies, cakes, and desserts
Who can resist chocolate Oreo cookies? It may be easier to pass on them after discovering that three Oreo cookies have 160 calories, 14 grams of sugar, refined flour, added sugars, artificial flavors, and preservatives. While cookies, cakes, and desserts may not have many healthy ingredients, eating them in moderation may still work when trying to lose weight.
6. Granola Bars
Granola bars may seem like a healthy snack, but they often have a lot of added sugars, thickeners, preservatives, and refined grains. Some granola bars have 15 grams or more of sugar.
Keep in mind that no one food alone will determine an individual’s weight loss success. Every food can be part of a balanced diet. The goal isn’t to eliminate all of your favorite foods but to eat nutritious, whole foods most of the time while still enjoying the foods you love.
Cross-partisan Agreement on Ultraprocessed Foods
A new survey, published in the special issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found support among Democrats, Independents, and Republicans for public policy and legal strategies to reduce consumption of ultraprocessed foods.
The survey also found majority support across all parties for testing food additives for safety before they can be included in food products, banning artificial dyes, requiring warning labels on food, and ordering companies to cut down on the amount of sugar and salt in their foods.
“In this polarized era where Americans disagree on so much, this is actually something where we’re seeing a lot of agreement and public support, which should be a catalyst for policymakers,” said Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist at UNC Gillings School of Public Health, who co-authored a paper for the new issue on the environmental toll of the single-use plastics that package many ultra-processed foods.
Story Links:
https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/03/ultra-processed-food-experts-want-sweeping-policy-changes/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/prevention-wellness/what-doctors-want-patients-know-about-ultraprocessed-foods
https://www.verywellhealth.com/ultra-processed-foods-to-avoid-11851899
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/processed-foods/
