"Ultra-processed" foods a huge chunk of American diet

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ultra-processed-foods-calories-american-diet/


More than half of all calories consumed in the U.S. come from "ultra-processed" foods, which can contribute to serious health complications like obesity and heart disease, new research finds.


Ultra-processed foods are products that contain several manufactured ingredients that are not generally used when cooking from scratch, including natural and artificial flavors or colors, sweeteners, preservatives, and other additives.


These are often used to imitate the taste, texture or other qualities of natural foods, or "to disguise undesirable qualities of the final product," lead study author Carlos Augusto Monteiro, a professor in the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, told CBS News.