Photo: Getty ImagesTackling unsustainable food systems is urgent for both health and climate, according to new research. The authors say our food environment promotes high-calorie, low-fibre ultra-processed foods (UPFs) — the most calorific of which encourage weight gain. The authors note that even if fossil fuel emissions ended today, current food systems alone could still push global temperatures beyond the 2°C threshold. The review calls for food system reforms to replace energy-dense UPFs with unprocessed foods and reduce animal-sourced foods. "To reduce the food system’s health and climate burden, governments must first recognise that both climate change and obesity are symptoms of profit-driven, systemic problems — and address the root."

Source: Otago Daily Times December 20, 2025 12:27 UTC