A comprehensive Lancet analysis warns of the consequences of highly processed foods, which contribute globally to obesity, diabetes, and mental illnesses. 43 experts call for a global response similar to that against the tobacco industry. In Germany, such products make up half of supermarket offerings.
Highly processed foods like frozen pizzas, burger patties, and crunchy muesli are convenient and cheap but pose long-term health risks. Phillip Baker from the University of Sydney, co-author of a three-part Lancet analysis, emphasizes that the increasing dominance of such products—known in English as ultra-processed food (UPF)—drives the global rise in chronic diseases. The 43 experts examined how the industry promotes UPF sales through marketing and lobbying.
UPF consist of cheap ingredients like hardened oils, glucose-fructose syrup, and additives, are often ready-to-eat, and high in sugar, fat, or salt. Critics question grouping nutrient-rich items like enriched cereals, but the authors argue it concerns the overall dietary pattern where fresh foods are displaced. The UPF sector generated 1.9 trillion USD in revenue in 2023 and is the most profitable part of the food industry.
In high-income countries like the US or UK, UPF account for up to 50 percent of daily calorie intake, with sales rising sharply in poorer nations. Carlos Monteiro from the University of São Paulo states: "The rising consumption of highly processed foods is changing dietary habits worldwide and displacing fresh and minimally processed foods and meals." In Germany, about half of 24,000 analyzed supermarket products are highly processed, says Mathias Fasshauer from Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen. Peter von Philipsborn from the University of Bayreuth adds that Germany has one of the highest per capita sales and consumption of soft drinks, sweets, and processed meat exceeds recommendations.
Studies link high UPF intake to overweight, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and depression due to poor nutrient quality and chemicals. In Germany, 25 percent of adults are obese, causing high health costs. UNICEF warns UPF are an urgent threat, especially to children normalized through sponsorships. Karen Hofman from the University of the Witwatersrand demands: "Just as we acted against the tobacco industry decades ago, we now need a bold, coordinated global response." Proposed measures include taxation, advertising bans, and subsidies for healthy foods, despite industry resistance via lobbying.