Children worldwide are eating more and more highly processed foods – with dangerous consequences for their health, growth and mental well-being.
This is the conclusion of a new analysis, released by the United Nations children’s fund UNICEF on Wednesday. It summarizes the extent to which so-called ultra-processed foods (UPFs) dominate the everyday lives of young people around the world.
The report is based on a recently published series of studies in the medical journal The Lancet, which details the health risks and the role of industry in the spread of such products.
UPFs often consist of a mixture of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, industrial starches and numerous additives such as emulsifiers, colourings and flavourings.
The report warns that many children are exposed to these products in their early years, and even young children living in extreme poverty frequently consume sweetened beverages. In 11 countries surveyed, this was the case for between 10 and 35% of children under the age of five.
Consumption continues to rise with age, and 60% of adolescents had consumed at least one sweet product the day before they responded to the survey. In many industrialized countries, over 50% of daily calories come from UPFs.
According to the analysis, these foods maximize profits for the industry but are not suitable for children.
UPFs promote obesity because they are high in calories and easy to overeat – and at the same time they promote malnutrition because they provide few vitamins and minerals and displace whole foods.
Studies also show links to chronic growth disorders, depression, hyperactivity and school performance problems.
