Overview
- The three-paper review synthesizes evidence from 104 long-term studies, with 92 reporting higher risks for conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and all-cause mortality.
- National dietary surveys show ultra-processed foods exceed 50% of intake in the US and UK and account for roughly half in Australia, with rapid increases reported in Spain, China, Mexico and Brazil.
- Researchers describe a concentrated sector whose commercial and political tactics reshape food systems for profit, identifying manufacturers and allied actors as the main barrier to regulation.
- Proposed measures include front-of-package markers identifying ultra-processed foods, strict limits on advertising to children, taxes to fund access to healthier foods, procurement standards for schools and hospitals, and shelf-space restrictions.
- Industry groups and some independent scientists argue the category is imperfect and most studies are associative rather than causal, while the authors say the evidence justifies immediate policy responses as further research proceeds.