Three major studies published in The Lancet show evidence that ultra-processed foods are fundamentally reshaping human diets worldwide and driving a surge in chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and premature death.

The research, part of a comprehensive Lancet Series, reveals that in the United States, ultra-processed foods now account for approximately 60% of total daily calorie intake, the highest level in the world. These foods include soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles, breakfast cereals, reconstituted meat products, and ready-to-eat meals manufactured with industrial ingredients and additives rarely found in home kitchens.

The first study, led by researchers from the University of São Paulo and other international institutions, analyzed more than 100 prospective studies involving nearly one million participants. The findings show strong associations between high ultra-processed food consumption and increased risk of:​

• Overweight and obesity (21% increased risk)
• Type 2 diabetes (25% increased risk)
• Cardiovascular disease and mortality (18% increased risk)
• Depression (23% increased risk)
• All-cause mortality (18% increased risk)

Controlled feeding trials demonstrated that when people consumed ultra-processed diets, they ate approximately 500 more calories per day and gained weight, even when the diets were matched for nutrients like sugar, fat, and fiber. The research suggests ultra-processed foods promote overeating through multiple mechanisms, including hyper-palatability, high energy density, soft textures, and disrupted food structures that encourage rapid eating.

The second and third papers in the series expose how the ultra-processed food industry—dominated by transnational corporations like Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Unilever—has reshaped global food systems to prioritize corporate profits over public health.

Between 1998 and 2020, the US food and beverage industry spent $11.5 billion lobbying the federal government, with Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and industry associations leading expenditures. The studies document industry tactics including:​

• Blocking, weakening, or delaying regulations through lobbying and litigation
• Infiltrating regulatory agencies through the “revolving door” between industry and government
• Funding research to manufacture doubt and shift blame to consumers
• Promoting voluntary self-regulation to preempt mandatory policies

Analysis of sales data shows that from 2007 to 2022, while ultra-processed food sales declined slightly in high-income regions like North America due to decreased soda consumption, sales of other ultra-processed categories—including baked goods, sweet snacks, ready meals, and reconstituted meat products—continued to grow or remain stable.​

In the United States specifically:

• Ultra-processed food consumption increased from 2001 to 2018, with the dietary share rising among both adults and children​
• These products have displaced traditional meals prepared from whole foods and fresh ingredients
• Lower-income Americans increasingly rely on ultra-processed foods as affordable, convenient options, creating widening health inequities

The studies reveal that ultra-processed foods harm health not just through poor nutrient profiles, but also by:

• Reducing intake of health-protective phytochemicals found in whole foods
• Increasing exposure to toxic compounds generated during industrial processing
• Introducing potentially harmful food additives and additive mixtures
• Containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals that leach from packaging​

For Americans, this means the damage extends beyond sugar and sodium content. The industrial transformation of whole foods into engineered products fundamentally alters how these foods affect the body.

The studies outline evidence-based policy recommendations that could dramatically improve American diets:​

Immediate actions:

1. Front-of-package warning labels on ultra-processed and high-sugar/salt/fat products—similar to successful programs in Chile and Mexico
2. Comprehensive marketing restrictions to protect children under 18 from advertising of unhealthy foods across all media platforms
3. Increased taxation (20% or higher) on sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods, with revenues supporting subsidies for fresh foods for low-income families
4. School food reforms that eliminate or drastically reduce ultra-processed foods in cafeterias and vending machines

Systemic changes:

• Protecting dietary guideline development from industry interference
• Ending government marketing tax deductions for ultra-processed food companies
• Implementing conflict-of-interest safeguards in nutrition research and policy
• Redirecting agricultural subsidies from commodity crops toward diverse, locally-oriented food production

The research also offers hope. Countries like Brazil, Chile, and Mexico have successfully implemented comprehensive policies that reduced ultra-processed food consumption while supporting access to fresh, minimally processed foods. Brazil’s school feeding program, serving 40 million children, now requires 90% of meals to be unprocessed or minimally processed, with 30% sourced from local family farmers.