In the United States of America, obesity is on the rise as well as food addictions. These food addictions are mainly with processed foods, and that becomes a serious health concern.
Doctors are warning people that ultra processed foods are the leading cause of obesity currently in the United States of America. Often times doctors even compare obesity to things such as tobacco. Doctors believe this because when people eat ultra processed foods, it triggers brain pathways similar to when somebody is addicted to substances like tobacco.
Super-processed foods like chips, soda, and packaged snacks are all made with lots of sugar, fats, and salt to give the food the best flavor and keep people craving more and more. This can lead to over eating very easily, which then can lead to obesity.
According to the CDC, more than 55% of daily calories in the U.S. come from ultra-processed foods. With youth consuming nearly 62%. That means that more than half of what Americans eat isn’t in its natural state.
This plays a huge role in our society because these foods don’t just affect physical health; they may also influence behavior. A study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that people eating ultra-processed diets consumed about 500 more calories per day than those eating minimally processed foods.
The rise of food addiction also mirrors the rise in obesity and chronic disease. Over the past few decades, as ultra-processed foods have become more common, rates of obesity and diet-related illnesses have increased. Among youth, about 20% are now considered obese, and researchers warn that diet plays a major role (National Institutes of Health (NIH)).
In the United States, 37% of adults are currently classified as obese, according to recent research from Gallup. While this marks a slight improvement from the all time high of 39.9% recorded in 2022, probably due to covid and quarantine, the number remains alarmingly high.
Even more concerning is the rise in related health conditions. Diabetes diagnoses have reached a record level, with 13.8% of Americans now affected. This shows a bad trend; the long-term health consequences continue to grow. Experts warn that poor diet, especially the widespread consumption of ultra-processed foods, plays a major role in both obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes. (GALLUP obesity rate in 2025).
Some things people can do to help themselves avoid getting addicted to these kinds of foods is to try to stay away from them as much as possible and stick to simpler, single-ingredient foods like fruits, vegetables, and meats. If anyone is going to eat processed foods, that’s totally fine, but it’s a good idea to turn the package over and look at the ingredients. If the ingredients are hard to read, thats usually a sign to stay away from that ultra processed food.
