New spotlight on potential dangers of ultra-processed foods

There is a new spotlight on ultra-processed foods as some experts now label them a major public health threat.

“These are foods with ingredients that you typically cannot pronounce and are typically found in the aisles of grocery stores,” ABC News Medical Correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton told Action News.

Dr. Sutton explores ultra-processed foods in a new special airing on ABC News Live Prime: “Gut Check: The Foods We Eat.”

“There was actually a recent study published just last night that showed that adults that have large amounts of ultra-processed foods in their diet have an increased risk of chronic disease,” Dr. Sutton said.

Those foods put consumers at an increased risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and overall higher death rates.

“There’s that tail, ‘anything in moderation won’t do you too much harm.’ Does that apply here to these ultra-processed foods as well?” Action News asked.

“I don’t want to (make them) villainized and make it seem as though ultra-processed and processed foods are all bad, but we want to make sure to keep that to a minimum,” Dr. Sutton said.

The increased scrutiny on ultra-processed foods comes amid the “MAHA” — Make America Healthy Again — movement popularized by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Many Americans are now asking how they can eat cleaner and healthier.

“What is the best advice for shoppers as they head to these grocery stores? Where should they look in the aisles?” Action News asked.

“You want to stock up on whole foods and minimally processed foods, which are typically found on the perimeter of the grocery store. You stock up on as much as you can, and then you can move into the aisles,” Dr. Sutton said.

But Valley families are also wary of cost.

Our ABC Price Tracker shows the increasing cost of groceries in the Fresno area, from meat and poultry to dairy and eggs to fresh produce.

“One of the steps you can take is preparing your food by batch cooking or meal prepping ahead of time,” Dr. Sutton said. “But of course, this takes time. This takes planning.”

In Fresno, you can sign up for a healthy shopping tour. Save Mart on First Street is offering the free, one-hour sessions on December 9.

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