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UK doctors warn that diets high in ultra-processed foods contribute to obesity, diabetes, and preventable diseases, and urge urgent public health action
Doctors warn that ultra-processed foods cause increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and preventable illness. Experts demand stronger regulation and government action to protect public health and reduce NHS pressures.
Ultra-processed children’s diets
The report examines children’s diets, finding that 66% of their daily energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods and that over 70% of school lunches, whether prepared at home or at school, are made with these products.
Research revealed that baby food brands market their products as “healthy” to parents, even though they are ultra-processed, extremely high in sugar, and low in nutritional value. For example, a study of 632 baby and toddler foods found that 41% of main meals had excessive sugar levels, while 21% of fruit products and cereals lacked adequate nutrition.
Unhealthy foods: Cost and accessibility
On average, healthier foods are more than twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy foods. Over a third of supermarket promotions for food and non-alcoholic drinks feature unhealthy products. Unhealthy foods also account for 43% of all price reduction promotions. As a result, unhealthy foods, including ultra-processed foods, are often more accessible and affordable than healthier foods.
The influx of ultra-processed foods into diets is leading to increased overweight and obesity rates, with over 35% of 10–11-year-olds and 64% of adults in England affected, driving preventable conditions.
Calls for stronger food regulation and public education
Professor David Strain, Chair of the BMA Board of Science, and Dr Heather Grimbaldeston, Chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said: “Every day, doctors see the preventable impact of poor diets on children and young people. Ultra-processed foods dominate what children eat, fueling rising obesity rates and other serious health problems, placing enormous pressure on the NHS, while a small number of major food companies account for the vast majority of junk food advertising children see on TV.”
“Relying on voluntary measures has failed, and responsibility cannot be placed solely on families when unhealthy food is so heavily promoted and long-promised protections for children have been repeatedly delayed. While we welcome the recent implementation of some mandatory TV and online advertising restrictions, these do not go far enough. The Government must go further to regulate the marketing and availability of unhealthy foods, while ensuring healthier, minimally processed foods are accessible and affordable for all.
“Stronger regulation must be combined with public education about what a healthy diet looks like and continued investment in high-quality research. Without urgent action, unhealthy diets will continue to make children unnecessarily ill, widen health inequalities, and add further pressure to an overstretched NHS.”
Dr Kath McCullough, Royal College of Physicians special adviser on obesity, said: “Today’s report from the BMA reinforces what physicians across the UK are seeing every day, that unhealthy diets and the environments that shape them are driving preventable illness at an alarming rate. The Royal College of Physicians is clear that obesity is a chronic, systemic illness shaped by social and commercial determinants of health and that we need bold action to fix our broken food system. We strongly support the calls for decisive regulation to curb aggressive marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar on television, online and on billboards (particularly near schools), to expand access to healthier foods, and ensure equitable access to effective weight management support. Medication or clinical care alone will not be enough. Government must act urgently to reshape the food environment to make healthy choices the easy choice for everyone.”