Unhealthy, Ultra-processed Foods Now Half of Calories Americans Eat at Home [Video]

Key Takeaways

Ultra-processed foods make up a majority of the calories Americans consume at homeThe percentage of ultra-processed foods eaten at home increased from 51% in 2003 to 54% in 2018These foods are linked to heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes

THURSDAY, Dec. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Unhealthy ultra-processed foods have wormed their way into American kitchens, likely harming people’s health for decades, a new study warns.

More than half of the calories adults eat at home now come from ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugar, salt, fat and other additives, and have been linked to heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Folks typically consider ultra-processed food to be either fast food or junk food, but this heavily processed fare even includes options that might seem healthy at first, said lead researcher Julia Wolfson, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

“The perception can be that ‘junk …