The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report revealing that the majority of calories consumed by American youth in recent years come from “ultra-processed” foods. The analysis, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found that 62% of daily calories in American youths came from ultra-processed foods, while 53% in adults. The report categorized individuals aged between one and 18-years-old as youths and those aged 19 and older as adults. Youths aged six to 11 had the highest average percentage of processed food comprising their caloric intake at 64.8 percent, while adults aged 60 and higher had the lowest rate at 51.7%. The report also revealed a decrease in the consumption of ultra-processed food consumptions among both youths and adults between August 2021 and 2023. This comes after the Trump administration allowed state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) to ban benefits from being used on processed foods. The top five sources of ultra-processed foods for youth were sandwiches, sweet bakery products, savory snacks, pizza, and sweetened beverages, according to the NHANES.
The CDC reports that 62% of the calories in American youth come from “ultra-processed” foods. Huong membership 002-2023
