On April, May 2025, CBS News released an investigative report noting that in the United States, ultra processed foods now account for more than half of daily calories for adults and roughly two thirds for children, highlighting their overwhelming role in the nation’s dietary landscape (CBS News).
What Are Ultra Processed Foods?
According to CBS and other nutrition experts, ultra‑processed foods are heavily industrialized products made with multiple additives colors, flavorings, emulsifiers, preservatives, and sweeteners not normally used in home cooking. They’re engineered to be convenient, highly palatable, and shelf stable, often replacing minimally processed meals entirely (CBS News). Examples include packaged snacks, cookies, sugary cereals, frozen ready meals, soft drinks, instant noodles, and reconstituted meat items like chicken nuggets (CBS News).
Health Risks Overwhelming
A comprehensive review in The BMJ, cited by CBS News, found strong and consistent links between high ultra processed food intake and over 30 health problems. These include cardiovascular disease (a 50% increased risk of heart related death), type 2 diabetes, obesity, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, cancer, and early mortality (a ~21% greater risk of death from any cause) (CBS News). Other major cohorts racking tens of thousands of adults across decades found long term consumption associated with around a 4% to 15% higher all cause mortality risk, depending on serving levels (washingtonpost.com).
Mechanisms include diets high in refined sugar, saturated fat, sodium but low in fiber and nutrients; they also disrupt appetite regulation and gut microbiota, potentially triggering inflammation and overeating (Wikipedia, advisory.com).
Children Particularly Exposed
Children’s diets are even more dominated by ultra processed foods CBS estimates that about two thirds of kids’ calories come from these items, reflecting their appeal and marketing toward younger demographics (myjournalcourier.com). Early life high consumption correlates with elevated BMI, insulin resistance, poorer metabolic markers, and future chronic disease risk (fox9.com, advisory.com).
Regulatory Challenges
Despite mounting health evidence, federal oversight has struggled to keep pace. CBS reports that the FDA regulates thousands of food additives, many of which are self affirmed by manufacturers as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) a system widely criticized for lacking transparency and scientific rigor (CBS News).
Although the FDA has recently moved to strengthen sodium reduction targets and improve food labeling, critics argue it’s still underpowered to rein in ultra processed products being engineered for maximum appeal and minimum oversight (statnews.com, CBS News). As Senator Bernie Sanders and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. highlight, there’s growing bipartisan concern demanding stricter regulation, more research, and improved consumer protections (apnews.com).
Why It Matters
Public Health Costs
Chronic diseases driven by UPF consumption account for large shares of the U.S. disease burden heart disease, diabetes, cancers and contribute to billions in healthcare costs annually(Globedge).
Addiction like Effects
Ultra processed foods are engineered for hyper palatability and can override normal satiety cues. Research supports that many additives and formulations may trigger addiction like responses in the brain, leading to overconsumption (realsimple.com).
Social Inequity
Lower income and marginalized communities often rely more on processed foods due to affordability and access gaps exacerbating health disparities and nutritional inequities (fox9.com, statnews.com).
What Regulators Propose
- Front of pack labeling to clearly identify UPFs and crucial nutrition info.
- Taxation or restrictions on sugary beverages and highly processed snack foods.
- Incentives or subsidies to improve access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and minimally processed options (CBS News, apnews.com).
- Expanded funding for long-term clinical research to better understand how processing characteristics (beyond just sugar, fat, and salt) contribute to health outcomes (statnews.com, Wikipedia).
Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Dietary Share (Adults) | ~50 to 60% of daily calories from UPFs |
| Dietary Share (Children) | ~66% in American youth |
| Health Risks | Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, early death, mental disorders |
| Mechanisms | High calorie, addictive formulations; low nutrients, metabolic disruption |
| Regulatory Status | FDA facing limitations; GRAS loophole; slow adoption of labels/taxes |
| Policy Measures | Suggested front‑pack labels, reformulation legislation, public awareness |
Final Takeaway
CBS News’ report spotlights a striking reality: ultra processed foods now dominate American diets, particularly among children, driving a range of preventable chronic diseases. While scientific evidence increasingly underscores the dangers including addiction esque properties and metabolic disruption regulatory responses lag behind.
Addressing this systemic issue requires policy reform well beyond individual choice and education. It means confronting the food industry’s influence, closing loopholes in food safety law, and reshaping food systems to favor minimally processed whole foods accessible to all.
Without decisive action, the public health cost of our ultra processed dependency is only set to rise.
