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Ultra-processed foods are dominating UK teens’ diets

A recent study has found that around two-thirds of the daily calories consumed by UK adolescents come from ultra-processed foods (UPFs). UPF consumption was highest among adolescents from deprived backgrounds, of white ethnicity, and younger ages.

The study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, revealed that 66% of adolescents' daily calories came from UPFs, and while there was a slight decline in UPF consumption over the years – from 68% to 63% between 2008-2009 and 2018-2019 – the overall intake remains high.

The term ultra-processed food (UPF) was coined as part of the NOVA food classification, a system developed in 2009 by Brazilian researchers. The NOVA classification categorises foods based on their processing levels: unprocessed or minimally processed (natural or minimally altered foods); processed culinary ingredients (substances like oils and sugars); processed foods (foods combined with culinary ingredients); and ultra-processed foods (highly industrial formulations with minimal whole foods).

Adolescents' UPF consumption is at a “much higher level than is ideal”

To understand eating trends among UK adolescents, researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Bristol examined data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) collected between 2008/09 and 2018/19. The sample included 2,991 adolescents aged 11-18 who completed detailed four-day food diaries. These foods were then classified using the NOVA system.

Researchers analysed the relative energy intake from UPFs and the absolute weight of UPFs consumed daily. To identify associations between UPF consumption and personal characteristics, sociodemographic data, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and region, were also included.

The study’s lead author, Dr Yanaina Chavez-Ugalde, from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, said in a press release: "Adolescents' food patterns and practices are influenced by many factors, including their home environment, the marketing they are exposed to, and the influence of their friends and peers. But adolescence is also an important time in our lives where behaviours begin to become ingrained.”

She added that given the potential negative health impacts of UPFs, their findings indicate that adolescent consumption is at a much higher level than what is ideal.

White adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds consumed more UPFs

The study highlighted significant disparities in UPF consumption based on ethnicity, geographical location, and parents' occupation.

Adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds consumed more UPFs (68.4%) than those from less disadvantaged backgrounds (63.8%). In addition, those from white ethnic backgrounds had higher UPF consumption (67.3%) than their non-white counterparts (59.0%). Geographically, those from the North of England consumed more UPFs (67.4%) compared to those in the South and London (64.1%).

The high consumption rates among disadvantaged groups indicate a potential link between socioeconomic status and dietary quality and highlight the need for targeted public health strategies to reduce UPF intake, especially in vulnerable groups.

Dr Esther van Sluijs, from the MRC Epidemiology Unit, and joint senior author of the study, explained the wider implications of these eating behaviours. She said: “Ultra-processed foods offer convenient and often cheaper solutions to time- and income-poor families, but unfortunately many of these foods also offer poor nutritional value. This could be contributing to the inequalities in health we see emerging across childhood and adolescence."

Effective policies needed to address the negative effects of UPF consumption

Joint senior author of the study, Dr Zoi Toumpakari from the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences at the University of Bristol, highlighted how the research findings suggest that individual choice is not the only driving force behind disparities in UPF consumption. She added: “We hope this evidence can help guide policymakers in designing more effective policies to combat the negative effects of ultra-processed food consumption among youth and the ripple effects this has on public health."

The global consumption of UPFs has been increasing rapidly over the past decade, contributing between 25 and 60% of total daily energy intake in some high – and middle–income countries. Various studies have suggested that higher UPF consumption may be linked to health issues such as metabolic syndrome, as well as increased risk of adverse health outcomes including mortality, common mental disorder, and cardiometabolic diseases.

In conjunction with increasing consumption, some argue - including American journalist Michael Moss in his book Hooked - that for decades the UPF industry has built consumer loyalty through aggressive advertising, promotions, and product designs aimed at enticing consumers from a young age. In 2020 the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), a US non-profit that partners with governments, local civil society, and other stakeholders, published a report arguing that during the Covid-19 pandemic, some multinational corporations marketed UPFs as “essential” and donated them to vulnerable groups, all while opposing policies for healthier food.