CDC: Most Americans get more than half of their calories from ultra

FILE – Potato chips are displayed at a store in New York, March 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)

By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer

Most Americans get more than half of their calories from ultra-processed foods, those super-tasty, energy-dense foods typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, according to a new federal report.

Nutrition research has shown for years that ultra-processed foods make up a big chunk of the U.S. diet, especially for children and teens.

For the first time, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed those high levels of consumption, using dietary data collected from August 2021 to August 2023.

The report comes amid growing scrutiny of such foods by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who blames them for causing