Majority of Americans get more than half of calories from ultra-processed foods, CDC finds

A new federal report found the majority of Americans get more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, with burgers and sandwiches, sweet bakery products, savory snacks, pizza and sweetened beverages being among the top sources. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said between August 2021 and August 2023, American youth "consumed 61.9% of their daily calories, on average, from ultra-processed foods, while adults consumed 53.0% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." 

"Ultra-processed foods tend to be hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber, and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats," according to the CDC. "Ultra-processed food consumption has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality." 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News earlier this year, "We are poisoning ourselves and it's coming principally from these ultra-processed foods." 

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The report said, "During August 2021–August 2023, the mean percentage of total calories consumed from ultra-processed foods among those age 1 year and older was 55.0%." 

Young children consumed fewer calories from ultra-processed foods than older kids, the report found. Adults 60 and older consumed fewer calories from those sources than younger adults. Low-income adults consumed more ultra-processed foods than those with higher incomes. 

Consumption of ultra-processed foods also appeared to dip slightly over the past decade. Among adults, total calories from those sources fell from about 56% in 2013-2014 and from nearly 66% for kids in 2017-2018. 

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"The top five sources of calories from ultra-processed foods among youth were sandwiches (including burgers), which contributed 7.6% of total calories, followed by sweet bakery products (6.3%), savory snacks (4.9%), pizza (4.7%), and sweetened beverages (3.9%)," the report said. 

"Similarly, the top five sources of calories from ultra-processed foods among adults were sandwiches (including burgers), which contributed 8.6% of total calories, followed by sweet bakery products (5.2%), sweetened beverages (4.4%), savory snacks (3.4%), and breads, rolls, and tortillas (3.1%)," it added. 

U.S. health officials recently said there are concerns over whether current definitions "accurately capture" the range of foods that may affect health. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department recently issued a request for information to develop a new, uniform definition of ultra-processed foods for products in the U.S. food supply. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Trump-Putin meeting agreed upon 'in principle,' Kremlin aide indicates

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin appear to be on track to soon have their first meeting since Trump took office for his second term earlier this year.

"At the suggestion of the American side, it has been agreed in principle to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days," Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov noted, according to the Associated Press.

"We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive," he said, according to the outlet.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment early on Thursday morning.

The potential meeting would come as President Trump has been trying to help broker an end to the years-long Russia-Ukraine war.

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"My Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made!" Trump declared in a Wednesday post on Truth Social. 

"Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted, "As President Trump said earlier today on TRUTH Social, great progress was made during Special Envoy Witkoff’s meeting with President Putin. The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end."

Fox News Channel's Peter Doocy contributed to this report

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