Humans have been processing food for thousands of years. While some processing can increase food’s safety and shelf-life, consuming lots of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Adults in wealthy countries, such as the UK and the US, get more than half of their calories from UPFs, but adolescents are thought to consume an even higher amount. (Ultra-processed foods include products such as sweetened yoghurts, margarine, cereal bars, chicken nuggets and energy drinks.)
