What do scientific studies reveal about ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods are like the fast food version of your favorite meals, easy to eat, but not always the healthiest choice.

Imagine you have a box of cereal that's made with lots of sugar, flavorings, and colorings. That’s an ultra-processed food. It doesn’t look like it came straight from nature, it looks more like something a scientist created in a lab!

What Scientists Found Out

Scientific studies are like detective work. Scientists looked at people who eat lots of ultra-processed foods and compared them to people who eat mostly whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, and grains.

They found that eating too many ultra-processed foods can lead to bigger waistlines and a higher chance of getting sick, especially heart problems. It’s like eating too much candy every day instead of having a balanced meal.

But it's not all bad news! If you eat some ultra-processed foods now and then, it’s okay. Just don’t let them take over your plate.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A child eats a bag of chips every day and starts feeling tired more often.
  2. A family notices weight gain after switching to pre-packaged meals most nights.
  3. A scientist finds that ultra-processed foods make people eat more without realizing it.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity