Experts warn global rise in ultra-processed foods poses major public health threat; call for worldwide policy reform

A comprehensive review by 43 international experts published Tuesday in The Lancet warns that ultra-processed foods are fueling a global health crisis, with consumption tripling in countries like Spain and China over recent decades and now exceeding 50% of daily calories in the United States and United Kingdom.

The three-paper series, backed by UNICEF and the World Health Organization and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, reviewed over 100 long-term studies linking high consumption of ultra-processed foods to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and early death. Ninety-two of 104 studies analyzed found increased risk of one or more chronic diseases associated with diets high in these foods.