Key Takeaways

Ultra-processed foods are now ubiquitous in the diets of young Americans

A new study suggests that teens and college-age adults might be spurred to overeat after exposure to these foods

Increased snacking, even in the absence of hunger, was a prime driver of this trend

MONDAY, Nov. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) — After two weeks of being placed on a diet high in ultra-processed foods, people in their late teens and early twenties continued to take in an excessive amount of calories, even when not hungry, new research shows.

The same was not true for similarly aged people who’d been placed on a two-week diet that shunned ultra-processed fare in favor of healthier, unprocessed foods.

Much of the excessive calorie intake among those exposed to ultra-processed foods came from s

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