How do our youth eat?
Drafted on September 10, updated on November 6, 2024
We took inspiration from nutritionist Monteiro’s alarm bell to reflect on how the food market for young people has evolved. The link with the observed rise in cancer among the youth appears very realistic. We fear that trying to treat food like tobacco is, realistically, unfeasible—at least in Europe.
Ultra-processed foods (UPF), whose unstoppable success is evident, should be dealt with like tobacco. And this isn’t the rant of some overzealous health advocate—it comes from Carlos Monteiro, the nutritionist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, who coined the term “ultra-processed” by classifying foods into four categories based on the NOVA system. At an international obesity congress, he even called for an unprecedented war against industrial food, as reported by The Guardian, which outlines the expert’s motivations.
In numerous countries, more than half of the calories now come from ultra-processed foods, and among the youngest segments, the figure nears 80%.
Yet industrial foods rich in salt, sugars, fats, and additives are at the root of the diabetes and obesity epidemic, as well as several other chronic diseases. One of the most important studies to date has recently confirmed this, identifying as many as 32 conditions linked to excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Despite the clear harm, the continuous appeals from the scientific community, studies, and guidelines have proven ineffective. This leaves us with only a much more aggressive strategy: banning all advertising, mandating warning labels similar to those on cigarette packages, prohibiting sales in schools, hospitals, and public centers (and even within a certain radius from them), and introducing broad, heavy taxes with revenues earmarked to support the consumption of foods like fruits and vegetables. Only an approach of this kind managed to stop Big Tobacco.
The Comparison with Big Tobacco
For decades, tobacco companies—almost all multinational giants capable of powerful lobbying—had prevented the truth from emerging, a truth known since the 1970s: that tobacco smoke harms the entire body. Over time, methods proven in multi-billion-dollar lawsuits delineated a multi-front strategy, with agreements among companies to mask, hide, and delay the accumulating evidence as long as possible in order to continue reaping astronomical profits. These included accurate mass distraction tactics designed to shift attention away from smoking as the cause of disease, aided by some well-compensated doctors and researchers.
All of this is also found in the ultra-processed food sector, as nutritionists like Marion Nestle (often unheard) have denounced for years, and as secret documents from companies producing sugary drinks have shown. For this reason, according to Monteiro, it is essential to act against ultra-processed foods as was done with tobacco. Given the pervasiveness of ultra-processed products, waiting for the reformulation of thousands of items is, at the very least, naive. Moreover, like tobacco, these products create addiction. Not everyone agrees with Monteiro—some argue that the very definition of ultra-processed is too broad and would penalize even harmless foods and drinks—but Monteiro insists that decisive action against ultra-processed foods is indispensable.
The Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods
Certainly, their success shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, ultra-processed foods are gradually replacing traditional, locally rooted foods even in countries like Japan, as demonstrated by a recent study on young Japanese consumers. According to Food Navigator, this trend is largely due to changes in dietary habits visible almost everywhere.
The specialized firm Innova Market reports that three out of five consumers worldwide buy a ready-to-eat, low-priced food at least once a week, and one in five does so every day—with the trend growing at about 3% per year. This is because the social model has fundamentally changed almost everywhere, the authors explain, and today the figure of someone not working and spending time preparing meals at home is nearly extinct. This holds true even in countries like India and Indonesia, where the low prices of ready meals make these products accessible—and often convenient—for everyone. According to Innova, one in five consumers, especially if young, considers the time spent cooking to be wasted time; at most, they allot only half an hour for meal preparation.
How Can We Curb the Spread of Ultra-Processed Foods?
To adequately respond to a trend that is likely irreversible, a kind of middle ground is emerging: the sale of intermediates that make meal preparation simple and fast. According to Statista, another market analysis firm, meal kits will be worth more than 20 billion dollars by 2029. And here lies a glimmer of hope. Consumers are increasingly attentive to the healthfulness of what they eat, with four out of ten distrusting ultra-processed foods and, for instance, trying to avoid processed red meats. In reaction, companies seem to be offering ready meals or semi-prepared options that can be ready in no more than 30 minutes, but with a nutritional quality superior to that of typical industrial food—using fewer ingredients and clearly indicating on the label what is being purchased.
P.S.: Confirmation of this trend also comes from an article about Spain, where Mercadona is the top supermarket: “Consumer shopping habits have changed. People now spend less time cooking or waiting in the fish counter, which has led to a proliferation of processed or semi-prepared foods in all categories. This is exactly where Mercadona wants to invest. According to the supermarket chain itself, tests are being conducted in 77 of its stores to reduce the fresh fish counter in favour of pre-prepared dishes…”
Below, from Repubblica on October 28, a particularly striking title reads: “Farewell to traditions: in China, Gen Z is tying the knot at karaoke or fast food outlets.”
