WASHINGTON – A new series of review papers are calling for government policies to reduce the consumption of ultraprocessed foods, or UPF, which is driving increases in chronic diseases and obesity.
The three papers, published in the Lancet, underscore the mounting evidence that UPF, which make up over half of the calories consumed daily in the U.S., pose long-term risks to human health. These studies link high UPF consumption to diseases across multiple organ systems.
The authors call for the federal government to adopt policies to combat this crisis, including warning labels for certain UPF and restrictions on marketing of UPF to children.
Ultra-processed food and drinks are designed to be hyperpalatable, engineered to be addictive and marketed to be profitable for their makers – all at the cost of nutritional value and health.
In October, California enacted a first-in-the-nation law to define UPF and phase out the most harmful UPF from public school meals.
The following is a statement from Scott Faber, the Environmental Working Group’s senior vice president for government affairs:
The new Lancet papers make clear that ultra-processed foods are driving a public health crisis, and that policymakers can no longer ignore the overwhelming evidence of harm. Ultra-processed foods aren’t just higher in sugar, salt or fat. They’re quite literally engineered to be addictive.
For too long, federal regulators have allowed the food industry to flood our grocery aisles with products that prioritize profit over public health. As a result, ultra-processed food now makes up more than half of the calories we consume every day.
California has enacted a groundbreaking law that will phase out UPF from being served in public schools. That’s one policy advance, and the authors of the Lancet articles provide thought-provoking ideas for taking the fight against UPF harms in new directions.
The science is clear and the stakes could not be higher. It’s time for federal agencies and lawmakers to act with the urgency and bold thinking this crisis demands, specifically by adopting commonsense policies to protect families by curbing the spread of ultra-processed foods.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
