January 27, 2026
Shelf-stable or self-sabotage?
Ultraprocessed foods make up to 70% of the US food supply
Commenters cry 'clickbait math' as others say 'just shop the edges'
TLDR: CNN says ultraprocessed foods make up to 70% of the U.S. food supply, while NIH researchers test whether “bliss point” flavor combos and calorie density fuel overeating. Commenters split between calling the headline misleading, preaching “shop the edges,” and questioning the NOVA label—because health, money, and math all collide here.
CNN says ultraprocessed foods could be up to 70% of the U.S. food supply, and the internet immediately went full food-fight. On one side: skeptics yelling clickbait, with one user joking, “Up to 70% usually means 2%.” Others point out the fine print: a top comment says the cited study counts unique items, not how much people actually buy—so one “pear” vs. 47 flavors of soda tilts the list. Drama, served hot.
Meanwhile, the “personal responsibility” crowd rolled in: “Just shop the edges of the store,” said one commenter, like it’s a life hack. Cue eye-rolls and replies about budget, time, and real-world access. Another camp poked at the NOVA system that labels ultraprocessed foods, noting it “completely disregards the actual nutritional content,” and warning that “hyperpalatable” (engineered to be irresistible) isn’t always the same as “ultraprocessed.”
In the lab corner, NIH researcher Kevin Hall is testing the bliss point—that salt-sugar-fat sweet spot—and whether high energy density (lots of calories in a small bite) drives overeating. The thread even dragged in past reads, like kids getting over 60% of calories from this stuff here. Verdict? The science is careful, the headlines are not, and the comments are a spicy snack all by themselves. Shelf-stable? Maybe. Debate-stable? Absolutely not.
Key Points
- •Ultraprocessed foods, defined by the NOVA system, constitute up to 70% of the US food supply.
- •These foods are associated with multiple health risks, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, cognitive decline, stroke, and early death.
- •A 2019 study led by Dr. Kevin Hall found ultraprocessed diets led to about 500 additional calories consumed per day versus minimally processed diets.
- •Hall’s new NIH trial involves 36 participants cycling through four diets varying in processing, energy density, and hyper-palatability.
- •Hypotheses for overconsumption include higher energy density due to reduced water content (shelf stability) and engineered hyper-palatability (“bliss point”).