Americans get most of their calories from disease-causing ultra-processed foods, a shocking new report has revealed. 

Newly published CDC data shows children and adults get 55 percent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are packed with preservatives, chemicals, and thickening agents to make them more addictive and last longer.

It’s thought that these foods quietly rewrite DNA, disrupt hormones and fuel tumor growth.

And a mountain of recent evidence has increasingly linked them to colon, breast and pancreatic cancers, all of which are on the rise in young people. 

Ultra-processed foods are also more pervasive in the diets of younger Americans, as kids and teens got about two-thirds of their calories from these foods from 2021 to 2023.

Additionally, people living below the poverty line were about 20 percent more likely to eat ultra-processed foods than those with higher incomes. 

This is most likely because processed foods like white bread, chips and sweets. tend to be cheaper than those that are minimally processed and fresh as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The CDC experts also found sandwiches were the most common processed food for both kids and adults, with baked sweets following closely behind. It’s unclear what specifically is on the sandwiches, but they could include processed deli meats that have been linked to colon cancer.

New data shows Americans get half their calories from ultra-processed food (stock image)

The above CDC graph shows percentages of calories consumed from ultra-processed foods

Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has also vowed to strip artificial ingredients out of the US food supply, blaming ultra-processed foods for obesity, heart disease, diabetes and autism.  

For adults, ultra-processed foods made up 53 percent of their calories in a day. Children and teens, meanwhile, got 62 percent of their calories from these foods. 

Kids between the ages of six and 11 were most likely to eat these foods, with 65 percent of their calories coming from ultra-processed foods. This figure dropped to 63 percent for 12-18-year-olds and to 56 percent for kids under six. 

Among adults, ultra-processed foods were most prevalent in the diets of people between ages 19 and 39, as 54 percent of their calories were from these foods. People between ages 40 and 59 got 53 percent of their calorie intake from ultra-processed foods, while this figure dropped slightly to 52 percent for those over 60. 

Higher figures in kids and teens could be because the average diet served in schools is made up of around 70 percent ultra-processed foods, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Older adults also tend to have more disposable income than those in their twenties and thirties, making them more likely to be able to afford healthier foods.  

There were no significant differences based on gender for any age group. 

Ultra-processed food consumption also didn’t differ for kids of different socioeconomic statuses. 

However, adults with the highest income level got 50 percent of their calories from ultra-processed foods, whereas those with lower income levels got 55 percent from these foods. 

This adds up to a 19 percent difference.

Yet despite the startling figures, ultra-processed food consumption is actually down compared to previous years.

The amount of calories consumed by adults from ultra-processed food fell slightly between 2013 and 2023 with a five percent decrease.

For kids, these figures dropped about six percent from 2017 to 2023.

Dr Charles Carlsen, an OBGYN and chief technology officer of DRSONO Medical, previously told DailyMail.com: ‘It’s possible that increased expenses and inflation are also making fast food harder for some families to afford. 

‘There’s also more awareness of health difficulties associated with fast food such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease that’s probably encouraged many to be more discerning about their choices of food.’

The above CDC graph shows ultra-processed calorie consumption by age group

Ultra-processed foods are packed with saturated fats, sugars and additives like emulsifiers and artificial dyes not typically found in home cooking.

As a result, they have been linked to heart disease, dementia, obesity and even some forms of cancer like colon cancer. 

Recent studies have even suggested they could be responsible for over 120,000 early deaths in the US, more than top killers like fentanyl. 

In particular, emulsifiers, which give milkshakes, sauces and processed meats a smooth and consistent texture, have also been linked to colon cancer. It’s thought that they can attack protective intestinal barriers, leading to inflammation.

Inflammation stokes cell division, which increases the risk of DNA damage and cancer-causing mutations forming. 

Another report published earlier this week found people who cut out ultra-processed foods while dieting lost twice as much weight as those who kept eating them, suggesting the foods fuel obesity. 

The new report was part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, published by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. 

Ultra-processed foods were defined as consisting ‘of industrial formulations of processed foods that typically contain unnatural additives, such as colorings or emulsifiers.’

Specific foods analyzed included sandwiches, sweet bakery products, savory snacks, pizza, sweetened beverages and breads, rolls and tortillas. 

The above CDC graph shows the most commonly consumed ultra-processed foods

The above CDC graph shows a gradual decrease in ultra-processed calorie consumption

Among both children and adults, sandwiches were the most common ultra-processed foods in their diets. Sandwiches made up about eight percent of daily calories for kids and nine percent for adults.

In both age groups, sweet bakery products like cakes and donuts followed closely behind with six percent for children and five percent for adults. 

For adults, sweetened beverages like soda, savory snacks like chips and breads, rolls and tortillas rounded out the top five. 

In children, savory snacks, pizza and sweetened beverages made up the rest of the list. 

Both children and adults are eating less ultra-processed food than in years past, which experts have noted could be due to increased awareness and inflation on fast foods and snacks.

Between 2013-2014 and 2021-2023, ultra-processed food consumption decreased from 56 percent to 53 percent, a five percent dip.

In kids, consumption dropped from 66 percent to 62 percent, a six percent decrease.

There were several limitations to the new report, mainly including a lack of data on how many Americans consumed ultra-processed foods in general and any chronic health issues participants had.