Ultra-processed foods fueling chronic diseases, mental illnesses globally: study

A growing consumption of ultra-processed foods such as breakfast cereals, yogurts, soda, cookies and even infant formula is fueling an increase in chronic diseases, including mental illnesses around the world, according to a global team of public health experts.

The warning comes in the form of a three-part series published in The Lancet, titled "Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health."

“This rise in ultra-processed foods is driven by powerful global corporations who employ sophisticated political tactics to protect and maximize profits. Education and relying on behavior change by individuals is insufficient,” the researchers warn in a summary statement of the study. “Deteriorating diets are an urgent public health threat that requires coordinated policies and advocacy to regulate and reduce ultra-processed foods and improve access to fresh and minimally processed foods.”

Ultra-processed foods or UPFs are described as “branded, commercial formulations made from cheap ingredients, with little or no whole food.”

This food group includes all carbonated soft drinks; reconstituted fruit juices and fruit drinks; cocoa, other modified dairy drinks, margarines; cured meat or fish with added nitrites or nitrates; poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, hot dogs, luncheon meats, and other reconstituted meat products; powdered instant soups, noodles, and desserts; infant formulas and follow-on products. Health-related and slimming-related products, such as meal-replacement shakes and powders, are also classified as UPFs, the study explains.

In "Ultra-processed foods and human health: the main thesis and the evidence" researchers found a strong relationship between the consumption of UPFs and an array of chronic diseases, including mental illnesses.

Among 104 studies reviewed, researchers found that 92 reported associations between exposure to the ultra-processed dietary pattern and increased risk of one or more chronic disease outcomes. These chronic disease outcomes include “all-cause mortality; cancer-related, cardiovascular-related, or cerebrovascular-related morbidity and mortality; and gastrointestinal, respiratory, kidney, liver, gallbladder, joint, metabolic, and mental illnesses,” the researchers note. Some 78 of those 92 studies highlighted a “statistically significant linear trend” between the consumption of UPFs and the increased risk of developing chronic illnesses.

Researchers also analyzed the national food intake across 36 countries through surveys and found that globally, the average intake of UPFs ranges from 9% in Iran to 60% in the U.S. The consumption of UPFs was also found to correlate with national wealth, culture, as well as other factors in the various food systems.

In high-income countries in southern Europe, such as Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal, as well as in Taiwan and South Korea, the consumption of UPFs is below 25%. In Australia and Canada, however, UPF intake is more than 40%, while in other high-income countries such as the U.S. and the U.K., it exceeds 50%.

Researchers note that in rich countries with a high consumption of UPFs, it is generally the lower-income population that accounts for more of it. In low-income countries, however, it is usually the higher-income population that consumes more UPFs.

“Within countries, the dietary share of UPFs tends to be elevated in groups with high socioeconomic status, where overall UPF intake is low, and in groups with low socioeconomic status, where overall UPF intake is high,” the researchers explain. “This pattern mirrors the socioeconomic distribution of obesity, indicating that UPFs, like obesity, first affect wealthier populations before spreading to groups on lower incomes.”

Reacting to the findings of the public health experts, the Lancet called out a “handful” of manufacturers — Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever and Coca-Cola — in an editorial that accuses them of preventing the regulation of UPFs

“The UPF industry generates enormous revenues that support continued growth and fund corporate political activities to counter attempts at UPF regulation. A handful of manufacturers dominate the market, including Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever and Coca-Cola,” The Lancet states.

“A comprehensive, government-led approach is needed to reverse the rise in UPF consumption. Priority actions include adding ultra-processed markers, such as colors, flavors, and non-sugar sweeteners, to nutrient profiling models used to identify unhealthy foods; mandatory front-of-pack warning labels; bans on marketing aimed at children; restrictions on these types of foods in public institutions; and higher taxes on UPFs,” the journal continues.

It was further noted that the rise of the UPF industry is a symptom of how much control transnational corporations have on the global food system and will require action from both governments and civil society to address.

“Echoing the recommendations of the EAT–Lancet Commission, transforming food systems will require redirecting agricultural subsidies away from large, transnational corporations. Instead, a diverse range of food producers should be supported in creating locally sourced, affordable, minimally processed foods and meals that are convenient and appealing to consumers,” the journal notes. “Taxation on UPFs could help to fund cash transfers for whole foods and other minimally processed foods to help protect low-income households.”