Global study links rising UPF consumption to higher health risks, calls for urgent regulatory measures
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are fuelling a global surge in chronic diseases and pose a “systemic threat to public health, equity, and environmental sustainability”.
Reuters reports that a landmark series in The Lancet, authored by 43 global experts and supported by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, links ultra-processed foods—made with industrial techniques, additives, and little whole food—to rising rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, depression, and heart disease.
A systematic review of 104 long-term studies found that 92 showed a higher risk of one or more chronic diseases associated with UPF consumption, with significant associations for a dozen health conditions.
While most studies are observational, the authors argue the evidence is strong enough to justify urgent government action to curb the growing dominance of UPFs in global diets.
UPFs now account for more than half of dietary intake in countries such as the United States, and their market share is rapidly increasing in Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, according to University of São Paulo professor Carlos Monteiro, who coined the term “ultra-processed food”.
Monteiro warns that the displacement of traditional diets by UPFs is the most convincing explanation for the global pandemic of diet-related chronic diseases.
The series highlights that more than 50 percent of the US$2.9tn paid to shareholders by food corporations between 1962 and 2021 was distributed by UPF manufacturers alone, as reported by the authors.
This profitability, according to coauthor Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina, drives industry resistance to reform, with companies using political lobbying and marketing strategies reminiscent of Big Tobacco to protect their interests and expand into new markets.
The food industry’s influence extends to research and policymaking, with industry-funded studies reportedly five times more likely to show no association between UPF consumption and obesity.
The International Food and Beverage Alliance, representing major multinational companies, argues that the Lancet’s policy recommendations “go far beyond the available evidence” and warns that new regulations could reduce access to affordable, shelf-stable foods.
Despite industry pushback, the authors call for coordinated global action, including warning labels, taxation, and restrictions on marketing—especially to children.
Countries such as Chile, Mexico, Norway, and the UK have already implemented laws targeting UPFs, with early signs of improved dietary outcomes.
UNICEF and the WHO have voiced support for a global framework to protect children and families from the harms of UPFs.
As stated by UNICEF’s nutrition leaders, effective protection “demands confronting the economic and political power that enables the UPF industry to weaken, delay, or obstruct government action”.
