Ultra-processed food is down, but still 50% of diets

The consumption of ultra-processed foods is on a slow decline, though most Americans — and especially children — are getting most of their calories from unhealthy, manufactured foods, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The mean percentage of total calories consumed from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) eaten by everyone age 1 and older was 55 percent, during August 2021 and 2023, when the National Center for Health Statistics conducted its survey. The survey underscored a persistent difference by age; among those between the ages of 1 and 18, the mean consumption of UPFs was higher, 61.9 percent of calories. Those 19 and older consumed less, at 53 percent.

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The Trump administration has blamed ultra-processed food for many ch