Study Finds Direct Link Between Ultra-Processed Foods and Chronic Diseases

Health Line

6 days ago

A new report states that ultra-processed foods are a major contributing factor to the obesity epidemic.
Researchers say these foods are designed to be palatable, causing people to overeat and gain weight.
Experts say the health risks from obesity range from heart disease to type 2 diabetes to sleep apnea.
A new report has concluded that ultra-processed foods are a driving force behind the obesity epidemic as well as a major cause of chronic conditions.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology, were a summary by scientists of existing research on the potential connection between obesity and the advent of ultra-processed foods.
The researchers reported that there is strong evidence that ultra-processed foods promote overeating and increase the risk of obesity.
They said the additives and preservatives in ultra-processed foods such as chips, pre-cooked meals, and cookies can cause excessive energy intake, disrupt the digestive system, and affect the brain's ability to tell a person they have had enough to eat.
They add that ultra-processed foods can alter the way the body absorbs food as well as the gut microbiota's composition and function.
The researchers urged government leaders to take action to improve the food environment by enacting measures such as package labeling and marketing restrictions.
Experts not involved in the study say this research review is important.
'This confirms what we know that ultra-processed foods are a detriment to the body,' said Mir Ali, MD, a general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California.
'Research on UPFs [ultra-processed foods] is accumulating at lightning speed,' added Laura Schmidt, PhD, a professor in the School of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. 'I like this review because it summarizes the latest evidence and puts it all in one place.'
How ultra-processed foods affect your health
David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California, noted that the origins of ultra-processed foods had some benefits for society. Cutler wasn't involved in the new study.
He notes that 150 years ago in the United States, there was widespread malnutrition and vitamin deficiency as well as disease from foods not properly preserved.
Cutler said the preservatives and additives put in food more than a century ago increased their shelf life and bolstered their nutrient value.
However, he noted, in recent decades ultra-processed foods have gone overboard with these scientific advances.
'The risks are now greater than the benefits we thought we got when we added these things to ultra-processed foods,' Cutler told Healthline.
Ali notes that ultra-processed foods tend to be calorie rich and nutrient poor. They are also designed to be tasty, which can cause people to overeat.
Travis Masterson, PhD, a professor of health promotion and disease prevention at Pennsylvania State University and a member of the communications committee at The Obesity Society, said it's not just the amount of ultra-processed foods that are consumed, it's also what's in them. Masterson wasn't involved in the new study.
In particular, he notes something called energy density.
'Energy density is how many calories can be packed into a food,' Masterson told Healthline. 'There is a pretty close relationship between how unhealthy a diet is and the energy density of a food.'
'Many ultra-processed foods tend to be high in energy because they strip out things like water and fiber to increase shelf stability and improve texture while also upping the levels of fat and sugar present,' he explained.
Ultra-processed foods and chronic disease risk
Past research has reported on the variety of health issues linked to ultra-processed foods.
A study published in April stated that ultra-processed foods may be tied to more than 120,000 preventable deaths in the United States every year.
A 2023 study found that ultra-processed food consumption increased the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
In addition, a 2024 study suggested a potential connection between these foods and cognitive decline.
Experts say the damage goes beyond simple weight gain and the resulting chronic conditions.
Ali said ultra-processed foods can increase cardiovascular risks due to their preservatives. Schmidt added that the health effects can get down to the cellular level.
'UPFs also harm the gut microbiome by starving the 'healthy bacteria' of fiber and introducing chemical additives that eat away at the intestinal lining designed to seal off the gut,' she explained to Healthline. 'This means that bacteria in the gut can get into the bloodstream, causing chronic inflammation throughout the body — a risk factor for many chronic diseases.'
'Finally, the high levels of sugar, fat, and salt in UPFs (which are added to make them irresistible) have their own health effects that increase the risk of chronic diseases,' Schmidt said.
'The harms of UPF are multifaceted, but this study and others point to things like additives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, sodium, texture, and potentially additive properties,' noted Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, the president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Ohio. Kirkpatrick wasn't involved in the new study.
'The other component of concern is the fact that these foods are often hard to stop eating so hopes of portion control may not be as realistic when compared to whole foods,' she told Healthline. 'In addition to these items, UPFs often substitute and take the place of healthy, nutrient dense foods in a dietary pattern which could increase even further the risk of chronic conditions.'
How obesity impacts health
New research found that obesity-related cancers tripled in the past two decades. The preliminary findings, which have not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, were presented on July 13 at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, CA.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 41.9% of adults in the United States are considered obese.
Now, a new measurement for obesity developed by researchers could raise that figure to more than half of U.S. adults. The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) recently redefined obesity to include anthropometric measures beyond body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities, but this framework has not yet been validated.
What's more, over 9% of U.S. adults are described as having severe obesity, according to the CDC.
Among the health risks associated with obesity are:
type 2 diabetes
heart disease
stroke
high blood pressure
sleep apnea
liver disease
certain cancers
pregnancy complications
'Obesity affects every organ in the body,' said Ali.
Kirkpatrick said belly fat is particularly worrisome.
'Belly fat is active, close to organs, and inflammatory, so the risk of increased belly fat will ultimately increase the risk of metabolic disorders (diabetes, high lipids, etc.) and other chronic conditions,' she explained.
How to reduce ultra-processed foods in your diet
Experts say it can be difficult to cut back on the amount of ultra-processed foods you eat.
For starters, they dominate grocery store shelves. Examples of ultra-processed foods include:
sweetened breakfast cereals
soda
white bread
flavored granola bars
flavored potato chips
In addition, experts say, the preservatives in these foods make them easy to store as well as easy to prepare.
Then, there's the taste. Additives can make these foods difficult to resist.
'They're designed to be highly palatable,' Ali told Healthline.
'There are a variety of factors that make the foods tasty, soft, and calorie dense and this likely messes with how fast we eat, how we process foods both in the gut, and how rewarding these foods are,' added Masterson. 'Then there are a variety of factors that reinforce the consumption of these foods like convenience, availability, and aggressive food marketing.'
Cutler said reading labels can provide important information. He added that it's also helpful to spend more time shopping on the outer edges of the store, where fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat are displayed, and less time in the center of the store, where packaged food resides.
'Try to eat foods that are in their more natural state,' he said.
Masterson said cooking at home using basic ingredients is one way to improve your diet, although it's not always easy to do.
'Not everyone has time or the correct equipment to cook, but cooking is a great skill to invest into, no matter your situation,' he said.
Masterson added that better food choices can also help. Strategies include eating a banana instead of a snack bar or using whole grain bread instead of white bread.
Kirkpatrick advises clients to try to reduce ultra-processed foods in steps rather than eliminating them all at once.
'First look at frequency. For example, if you love a fast-food burger, then limiting consumption to once a month can make a big difference in protecting health,' she said.
'If every meal and snack is UPFs, then working with a dietitian to find substitutions, tools for cooking, and healthier grocery shopping may all help,' Kirkpatrick said. 'UPFs may have additive qualities, so eliminating them cold turkey may be harder than it sounds.'