Rampant consumption of ultra-processed food has a substantial negative impact on America’s children. A study revealed that more than two-thirds of calories found in children and teens living in the US are attributed to ultra-processed food. The fight for healthy eating continues among citizens, and no one heeds the call until it is too late. Diet food is mainly consumed when one is diagnosed with a disease or reaches the ‘older’ age mark, which means that people spend most of their lives eating ‘junk food.’ The modern world is filled with a lot of processed food, with fast food outlets becoming a booming business.
The US is among world countries dominated by fast foods companies, and the market is dominated by ultra-processed food. Such markets tend to bring in more income than traditional food or vegetables, which is why many start-up businesses are venturing into that sector.
Most consumers of ultra-processed food are the younger generation who feel blessed by ‘sweet dishes’ and ‘hate veggies.’ Stores or outlets that sell frozen pizza, chips, packaged snacks, desserts, and microwave meals are constantly filled with children and teens purchasing those products daily. The culture of going out on dates is now associated with hanging out in fast food outlets and eating these processed foods, so consumption has been skyrocketing for a long time and affecting young people’s health standards. The research published in the medical journal JAMA showed all the trends relating to the consumption of ultra-processed food by American children.
The study focused on analyzing the diet of 33 795 children and adolescents in the US aged 2-19 years. Stats presented depicted how 67% of calories consumed in 2018 were attributed to ultra-processed foods such as frozen pizza, microwave meals, packaged snacks, and desserts. This percentage is a significant rise from the previous 61,4% recorded in 1991, as noted by the research. The percentage of total energy recorded from the consumption of ‘unprocessed or minimally processed foods’ outlined a decrease from 28,8% to 23,5%. Unprocessed foods are slowly losing value on American markets and diet choices. This is happening to those aged 2-19, meaning these young people will reach full maturity with shattered health systems from the calories being consumed.
The researchers were also concerned about childhood obesity rising gradually among US youths for the past two decades. Excessive intake of ultra-processed foods was blamed for obesity and weight gain. Industrial processing is applauded for preserving food shelf life and changing the color and taste to make it more desirable. Fang Fang Zhang, who is a nutrition and cancer epidemiologist at the Fried School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, contended that certain ultra-processed whole-grain bread and dairy are much healthier than other processed foods. He added that “But many ultra-processed foods are less healthy, with more sugar and salt, and less fiber, than unprocessed and minimally processed foods, and the increase in their consumption by children and teenagers is concerning” [Source].
The research titled “Trend in Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2-19 Years, 199-2018,” accessible on [Source], highlighted how a surge in calories intake was caused by ready-to-heat and eat mixed dishes, which increased from 2,2% to 11,2%. Because cooking or preparing a meal is regarded as ‘workload,’ people purchase ready-to-heat food which needs to be microwaved and saves a lot of time, especially for students coming from school or the working class. An increase from 10,7% to 12,9% as outlined in the consumption of sweet snacks and sweets. Consumption of processed fats and oils, condiments, and sauces decreased from 7,1% to 4.0%, and sugar-sweetened beverages from 10,8% to 5,3%. This decrease was commended by Zhang, who said, “We need to mobilize the same energy and level of commitment when it comes to other unhealthy ultra-processed foods such as cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and brownies.”
According to the analysis, Mexican American youths consume ultra-processed foods at lower rates, which might be due to the home-cooked meals tradition witnessed among Hispanic families. But Black youths recorded a huge increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in their daily diet, and they surpassed their White counterparts who also had a notable consumption rate of the ultra-processed foods. The study’s authors did outline how they found it difficult to examine other ethnic groups’ eating trends due to the lack of data. They only managed to study the non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Mexican American.
Various nutritionists aired out that this is a damaged food system built to support the consumption of ultra-processed foods. There is a need for an immediate change if Americans’ health is improved, especially for the younger generation. Some medical officials suggested a need for education among the citizens for them to know the dangers of unhealthy eating. This idea stems from intense ignorance by many people in terms of preparing a balanced diet, and they lack tangible knowledge when it comes to healthy eating. Assistant professors in the department of nutrition at the University of North Carolina’ Gillings School of Global Public Health, Katie Meyer and Lindsey Smith Taillie said, “The current food system is structured to promote overconsumption of ultra-processed foods through a variety of strategies, including price and promotions, aggressive marketing, including to youths and specifically Black and Latino youths, and high availability of these products in schools.”
The negative effects of ultra-processed foods are visible considering obesity levels, cancer cases, and weight gain in the US, hence this study must be treated as a red flag to motivate concerned stakeholders together with the government to address the issue of unhealthy eating among Americans.
