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Americans of all ages are getting more than half their calories from unhealthy, ultra-processed foods
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according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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While there is no official definition of what counts as an ultra-processed food
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the report described them as hyper-palatable, containing little to no whole foods
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and being low in dietary fiber, while being high in salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats
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Common ultra-processed foods are things like frozen dinners, packaged snacks, soda, and chips
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According to the new report, on average, Americans got about 55% of their total calories from these kinds of foods between 2021 and 2023
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Children, 18 and younger, received a higher percentage of their calories from ultra-processed foods, nearly 62%
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It's 53% for adults. It's not all bad news, though. the report shows Americans are getting fewer of their calories from ultra-processed foods
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The average was 56 percent for adults and 66 percent for kids between 2017 and 2018
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The new report comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing plans to make America
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healthy again, which includes cutting down on the amount of ultra-processed foods that Americans eat
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