More than half of U.S. diet still made up of ultraprocessed foods
Despite slight improvements, ultraprocessed foods continue to make up the majority of calories consumed by Americans, according to a new report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Between August 2021 and August 2023, about 53% of the average adult’s daily calories came from ultraprocessed foods. The percentage was even higher among children, at 62%. These numbers are down slightly from 2017–18, when ultraprocessed foods accounted for 56% of adults’ and nearly 66% of children’s diets, but they remain a dominant part of the American food landscape.
Ultraprocessed foods include items like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, fast food burgers and sweet baked goods. These foods tend to be high in added sugars, sodium, saturated fat and calories, while offering little nutritional value. They’ve been linked to a wide range of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression and even shorter lifespans, the report noted.
According to the CDC, burgers and other sandwiches were the top sources of ultraprocessed calories for both adults and children, followed closely by sweet baked products. Combined, these two categories made up nearly one in every seven calories consumed.
The report also highlighted disparities based on income. Adults in wealthier households consumed fewer ultraprocessed foods than those in lower-income households. However, among children, the differences were less pronounced.
This report comes amid U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which targets the reduction of ultraprocessed food consumption as a key public health goal.
Read more: CDC
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