(CNN) Children and teens in the United States now get more than two-thirds of their calories from ultra-processed foods, an analysis of almost two decades worth of data has found. Ultra-processed foods -- such as frozen pizza, microwave meals, packaged snacks and desserts -- accounted for 67% of calories consumed in 2018, up from 61% in 1999, according to research published in the medical journal JAMA Tuesday. The study analyzed the diet of 33,795 children and adolescents nationwide. "Some whole grain breads and dairy foods are ultra-processed, and they're healthier than other ultra-processed foods," said senior author Fang Fang Zhang, a nutrition and cancer epidemiologist at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston. "But many ultra-processed foods are less healthy, with more sugar and salt, and less fiber, than unprocessed and minimally processed foods, and the increase in their consumption by children and teenagers is concerning."

Source: CNN August 10, 2021 15:11 UTC