A new report from the CDC finds that more than half of the calories consumed by both kids and adults in the U.S. come from ultraprocessed foods.
The study, which analyzed dietary data from 2021 to 2023, reveals that:
- 62% of calories in children’s diets came from ultraprocessed foods
- 53% of calories for adults came from the same
- Burgers, sandwiches, sweet bakery items, and sugary drinks were the top culprits
These foods are cheap, addictive, and everywhere—making up about 70% of the U.S. food supply—but they’re also high in added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats and linked to obesity, cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even depression.
The George Washington University has experts available to discuss this new report. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaum
gwu [dot] edu (katelyn[dot]deckelbaum[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Priya Fielding-Singh is the director of Policy and Programs at the Global Food Institute, where she leads domestic policy, programming, and engagement initiatives. A trained social scientist, her expertise is in food and nutrition equity, maternal and child health, and public policy.
Uriyoan Colon-Ramos is an associate professor and director of the Diet Disparities Lab at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. Colon-Ramos studies the health disparities linked to sugar-sweetened beverages and unhealthy foods in Puerto Rico and in Latino communities in the US.
Allison Sylvetsky is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. Her primary research interests are in studying the consumption and health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages and low-calorie (artificial) sweeteners, with a key focus on their consumption during childhood.
-GW-