A new Lancet Series has raised urgent concerns over the worldwide surge in consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), warning that these products are reshaping diets, worsening health outcomes, and influencing food systems in ways that undermine public health. Published on Nov 18, 2025, the Series synthesises more than 100 prospective observational studies and global dietary surveys, highlighting strong associations between high UPF intake and a range of chronic diseases.
According to the Lancet, UPFs—industrial formulations made using refined ingredients, additives, and cosmetic enhancers—are increasingly displacing traditional, minimally processed, nutrient-rich foods across high-, middle-, and low-income countries. In many high-income nations, UPFs now constitute more than half of daily dietary energy intake, while consumption is rising rapidly across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The Series underscores growing evidence that high UPF intake is linked with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and increased all-cause mortality. While most findings stem from observational research and therefore indicate strong associations, the consistency of results across global cohorts has strengthened concerns among researchers and policy experts.
The Lancet also outlines several plausible biological pathways that may explain these health risks, including nutrient imbalances, overconsumption driven by hyper-palatability, loss of natural food matrices, gut-microbiome alterations, chronic low-grade inflammation, and exposure to certain food additives. These mechanisms remain active areas of investigation but collectively point toward a pattern of harm visible across diverse populations.
The Series additionally highlights the growing influence of multinational food corporations in shaping food environments—through extensive marketing, strategic partnerships, and policy lobbying—which has contributed to the expansion of UPFs into new markets and populations.
Indian Clinical Expert Raises Red Flag
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Sujatha Stephen, Chief Dietician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, emphasised the health implications of rising UPF consumption:
“Ultra-processed foods are formulations of industrially produced ingredients linked to a higher risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain mental health disorders. Consuming high amounts of UPFs can lead to gut dysbiosis, inflammation, and metabolic issues due to their high content of added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives, and low levels of essential nutrients and fibre. UPFs displace more nutritious foods, contributing to poor diet quality and increased health risks. It’s crucial to prioritise whole, minimally processed foods for optimal nutrition and disease prevention.”
Her observations echo the Lancet’s conclusion that UPFs represent “a major global health issue” requiring immediate and coordinated public-health action.
Global Call for Action
The Lancet argues that addressing the health risks linked with UPFs will require system-level responses, not just individual behaviour change. Governments are encouraged to implement a suite of policy measures—including warning labels, marketing restrictions (especially for children), higher taxes on UPFs, procurement rules limiting UPFs in public institutions, and safeguards against undue corporate influence in policymaking.
The Series positions UPFs as part of the broader commercial determinants of health, noting parallels with regulatory efforts seen in tobacco control. Improving population diets, it argues, will depend on rebuilding food systems to ensure equitable access to affordable, minimally processed foods, particularly for low-income and vulnerable populations.
The Lancet concludes that reversing UPF-driven dietary patterns is essential to slowing the rise of chronic diseases and strengthening sustainable, culturally rooted food systems worldwide.
