Ultra-Processed Foods, Eating Disorders, and Mental Health
Ultra-processed foods impact eating disorders and other mental health problems.
Posted April 4, 2026 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley
"Ultra-processed foods are industrial creations made with little—if any—whole foods that often contain large amounts of added sugar and salt" (Berg, 2024). They are typically "infused with artificial colors and additives, and have ingredients added to enhance shelf life, including unhealthy fats and preservative chemicals" (Berg, 2024).
"Research has shown that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to more than 30 health conditions" (Berg, 2024). A systematic review of meta-analyses showed that "convincing evidence supported direct associations between greater ultra-processed food exposure and higher risks of incident cardiovascular disease-related mortality and type 2 diabetes, as well as higher risks of prevalent anxiety outcomes and combined mental disorder outcomes" (Lane, 2024).
An Eating Disorder Case Example
Sally (not her real name), a popular hairdresser, is a 20-year-old single woman. She has struggled with her weight since the third grade. She came from a poor family that lived in a food desert. Consequently, she consumed a disproportionate amount of ultra-processed foods.
Her only source of healthy food was the free lunch at her school. In high school, she became obese, with a BMI of 30. She was self-conscious about her weight and had low self-esteem .
Her mother discovered her vomiting after meals and arranged for admission to an outpatient eating disorders program in her community, where she was diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. She received enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy , met with a nutritionist, had a thorough medical evaluation by an internist, and was placed on fluoxetine by a psychiatrist.
The nutritionist placed her on a modified Mediterranean diet and insisted on a significant reduction in ultra-processed foods. Sally responded well to her treatment and was able to stop her bingeing and vomiting. Her weight gradually decreased, and her self-esteem improved.
Eating Disorders and Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
"Observational research has found that UPF consumption is associated with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders but not with purely restrictive eating disorders" ( Wise , 2024). UPFs may sensitize "reward-related neural functioning, disrupting metabolic responses, and motivating subsequent UPF cravings and intake" (Wise, 2024).
UPFs are typically appealing, so it is no surprise that they can result in obesity and certain eating disorders. Wise and colleagues point out that an "all foods fit" philosophy is a "problem in light of the harms of UPF intake" (Wise, 2024).
Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) and Mental Health Disorders
One of the reasons UPFs are unhealthy is because of additives in the food. They "intensify color, thicken, increase shelf life, and enhance flavors" (Warner, 2024). "Many publications suggest that artificial colorants, benzoate preservatives, non-caloric sweeteners, emulsifiers, and their degradation derivatives have adverse effects by increasing risks of mental health disorders such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder " (Warner, 2024).
UPFs adversely affect children's mental health. Research shows that these foods promote adverse behavior and emotional issues in young children. For every 10 percent increase in calories from UPFs, children score higher on checklists for emotional and behavioral problems. For example, these children have an increased incidence of anxiety, fearfulness, aggression , or hyperactivity (Kavanaugh, 2026).
What is the Medical Profession's Position on UPFs?
The AMA published a position paper on UPFs, titled "What doctors wish patients knew about ultra-processed foods" (Berg, 2024). The information was provided by a preventive cardiologist (Dr. Stephen Devries) and a family physician (Dr. Neha Sachdev).
They point out that UPFs are associated with a 31 percent increase in mortality when comparing people who have a high intake of UPFs to people who eat them the least (Berg, 2024). These foods raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers, anxiety and depression, and dementia (Berg, 2024).
One helpful way to determine if a food is ultra-processed is to look at the label. UPFs have a long list of ingredients rarely, if ever, used in home cooking. If many of a food's ingredients are unfamiliar to you, it is probably ultra-processed.
Instead of eating UPFs, the recommendation is to eat fresh fruit, nuts, fresh vegetables, dried beans, intact whole grains, other whole foods, and frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables and fruit are "not too bad" (Berg, 2024).
The U.S. has been dealing with an epidemic of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity since 1960. From 2021 to 2023, "the age-adjusted prevalence of U.S. adults age 20 and older with obesity was 40.3%, including 9.7% with severe obesity and another 31.7% who were overweight" (Fryar, 2026).
The epidemic of overweight and obesity is due to a variety of factors. One significant factor is the fact that we eat substantially more UPFs, and the size of our food portions has increased. Also, we are less physically active.
Excess weight is the primary cause of Type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes have a higher incidence of depression than the general population. Type 2 diabetes causes high blood sugar and abnormal lipids, such as cholesterol. These two effects cause inflammation and decreased serotonin; both of these changes contribute to developing depression.
Likewise, depression contributes to developing diabetes because the HPA axis is stimulated and cortisol levels rise and remain elevated, which triggers insulin resistance (Khawagi, 2024).
UPFs are dangerous for your physical and mental health, and they contribute to a shortened lifespan. A significant increase in the consumption of these foods is a major factor in the epidemic of overweight and obesity in the U.S.
Berg S. What doctors wish patients knew about ultra-processed foods. Nov 8, 2024. AMA. Information by Stephen Devries, MD and Neha Sachdev, MD, MS. ama-assn.org
Fryer CD, Afful J, Saif N. Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults aged 20 and older: United States, 1960-1962 through August 2021-August 2023. NCHS Health E-Stat. 2026 Feb; (111):1-7. doi:10.15620/cdc/174643
Kavanagh ME, Zheng HC, Tamana SK. Ultraprocessed food consumption and behavioral outcomes in Canadian children. 2026 Mar 3; 9 (3): e260434. [ JAMA Netw Open ]. doi: 10:1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.0434
Khawagi WY, Al-Kuraishy HM, Hussein NR, et al. Depression and type 2 diabetes: A causal relationship and mechanistic pathway. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2024 Aug; 26(8): 3031-3044. doi:10.1111/dom.15630
Lane MM, Gamage E, Travica N, et al. Ultra-processed food consumption and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutrients 2022 Jun 21: 14 (13): 2568. doi:10.3390/nu14132568
Lane MM, Gamage E, Du S, et al. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: Umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ. 2024 Feb 28; 384: e077310. doi:10:1136/bmj-2023-077310
Warner JO. Artificial food additives: Hazardous to long-term health? Arch Dis Child. 2024 Oct 18; 109 (11): 882-885. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2023-326565
Wiss DA, La Fata EM. Ultra-processed foods and mental health: Where do eating disorders fit into the puzzle? Nutrients. 2024 Jun; 16 (12); 1955. doi: 10.3390/nu16121955
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Peter M. Hartmann, MD, DLFAPA, is a renowned physician dual board-certified in Family Medicine and Psychiatry, whose five-decade career has bridged clinical care, academic leadership, and psychiatric innovation.
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