Ultraprocessed foods comprise half of the average American’s diet, and according to Health and Human Services they cause people to be obese and malnourished at the same time
CHICO, Calif. – Ultra-processed foods make up half of the average American’s diet, and concerns are rising about their impact on health.
United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that these foods cause people to be both obese and malnourished.
Chico nutrition coach Cherish Denney shared insights on the nature of some ultra-processed foods that make health claims.
“In the refining process a lot of things get taken out. When it comes to processed food my opinion is that they take the good stuff out and sometimes they’re putting not so great stuff in, a lot of fillers, they want to make as much as they can as cheap as they can to be cost effective,” Denney said.
Recent studies published in journals like The BMJ and JAMA have linked higher ultra-processed food intake to increased risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Denney advises that you should carefully examine ingredient lists to determine if a product is truly healthy.
“A good gauge is if it’s really long, probably you shouldn’t be eating it – the longer that ingredients list is, often the worse the product is,” Denney said.
Denney also warned that products with labels boasting terms like low-carb, high protein, low sugar, organic, or non-GMO can be misleading.
“If you recognize the food in the bar, that’s a good sign. The more it looks like something you can make yourself that is generally pretty safe! The closest you can get to that food as made in nature will be the healthiest option,” Denney said.
The Food and Drug Administration estimates there are between 4,000 and 10,000 ingredients approved for use in food products. Health and Human Services is currently reviewing potential changes to what’s allowed.
