A landmark series published in The Lancet medical journal has issued a stark warning about the devastating health impacts of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), revealing that Australia has one of the highest consumption rates globally. These products now constitute nearly half of the average Australian's diet, driving what researchers describe as an 'escalating' burden of chronic diseases.
A National Diet in Crisis
The comprehensive analysis found that Australia, alongside the UK and USA, has seen UPFs become a 'central part of dietary patterns for most of the population', accounting for more than half of daily calorie intake. The report identifies these foods as a major new challenge to global public health, increasingly replacing healthy, whole-foods in diets worldwide.
Professor Mark Lawrence from Deakin University, a co-author of the series, attributes this crisis to Australia having 'fallen behind international best practice' on nutrition. He revealed that Australia has had no national food and nutrition policy since 1992, instead relying on 'piecemeal actions' that have proven ineffective.
Flawed Systems and Missed Opportunities
The research highlights significant policy failures, with Professor Lawrence pointing to Australia's health star rating system as a 'classic example of a counterproductive policy'. The system's focus on individual nutrients like salt and sugar allowed major food manufacturers to simply replace these with ultra-processed alternatives while still earning high ratings.
Unlike many other countries, Australia has no taxes on sugar and soft drinks, missing a crucial tool in discouraging consumption of unhealthy products. The researchers argue that policymakers must consider the cumulative health impacts of the 'cocktail' of novel ingredients found in UPFs over time.
Direct Links to Chronic Health Conditions
After analysing evidence from more than 100 scientific papers, the researchers established clear associations between high UPF consumption and increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
The timing is particularly concerning given recent research from Massachusetts General Hospital suggesting UPFs may be linked to precursors of bowel cancer. This connection could help explain why Australia has the world's highest rates of bowel cancer in people under 50.
Dr Priscila Machado, another co-author from Deakin University, noted that while the Lancet series didn't find strong evidence directly linking UPFs to bowel cancer, studies examining precursors were 'very relevant' and warranted further investigation.
Call for Coordinated Action and Systemic Change
The Lancet series outlines the 'urgent, coordinated' public policies and collective actions required to address the growing impacts of UPFs. The authors advocate for measures that support the availability and affordability of fresh and minimally processed foods while addressing the socioeconomic and gender inequalities that drive demand for UPFs.
Professor Lawrence pointed to Brazil's 'gold standard' policy, which legislates that 90% of foods in public school lunch programs come from unprocessed or minimally processed sources, as an example to follow.
Dr Philip Baker, a lead author from the University of Sydney, emphasised that a 'new vision' for Australia's food system is essential to redistribute resources to more diverse local producers rather than transnational corporations.
A spokesperson for Rebecca White, the assistant minister for health, confirmed that Australia's 2013 dietary guidelines are currently under review, including 'a systematic review of ultra-processed food consumption and its impact on mortality and chronic disease risk'.
