Heavy consumption of Ultraprocessed foods tied to sharp increase in childhood asthma

Children who derive at least 30 per cent of their daily energy intake from ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) face nearly four times the risk of developing asthma in early school years compared to peers with lower consumption, according to a new study.

Researchers, analysing data from 691 children in the SENDO cohort, found a strong association between high UPF intake and asthma but observed no significant link between UPF consumption and other allergic conditions.

The children, with a mean age of 4.86 years and 52.5 per cent girls, were grouped into tertiles based on their consumption of UPFs.

Those in the lowest tertile consumed less than 30 per cent of their total energy from ultraprocessed foods, while the two highest tertiles represented children who consumed 30 per cent or more. Over a follow-up period averaging 3.4 years, children in the higher intake category demonstrated a markedly increased likelihood of developing asthma.

Dietary information was collected at baseline using a validated food frequency questionnaire.

“Our findings suggest that UPF consumption could represent a particularly potent modifiable risk factor for childhood asthma in specific populations or contexts,” the study authors stated, highlighting the public health implications as ultraprocessed foods continue to dominate children’s diets globally.

The study’s findings come amid growing concerns about children’s eating habits, shaped increasingly by social media trends.

Nichole Taylor, supervisor of food and nutrition services at the Great Valley School District in Malvern, Pennsylvania, said students frequently request trending foods they encounter online.

“I don’t have a TikTok account, but they’re telling me, ‘Hey, I saw this on TikTok. Can you make this? Can we do this?’” Taylor said, noting that students today are far more engaged in meal choices than previous generations.

READ ALSO: NDLEA nabs Chinese, 80-year-old as Colo, Loud found in food packs

Since taking over the suburban Philadelphia district’s meal programme about 18 months ago, Taylor has sought to introduce more freshly prepared options while navigating budget limitations and shortages of skilled kitchen staff.

However, school districts nationwide are bracing for potential cost increases following the January overhaul of national dietary guidelines by the Trump administration.

Announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the revised framework aligns with the “Make America Healthy Again” blueprint, urging Americans to limit highly processed foods and prioritise nutrient-dense protein sources at every meal.

The updated guidelines underpin federal nutrition standards for schools participating in government meal programmes, raising questions about funding adequacy amid rising food and labour costs.

While concerns over nutrition and health mount, academic outcomes present a mixed picture across the United States.

In Modesto, California, sixth-grade teacher Nancy Barajas has introduced creative pre-test rituals—dimming lights, turning on a disco ball and playing upbeat music—to boost student confidence. The district has recorded steady gains in reading and mathematics scores over recent years.

Nationally, however, researchers describe a more troubling trend. A comprehensive analysis by scholars at Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth reviewed standardised test scores from over 5,000 school districts in 38 states, compiled in a national Education Scorecard. The findings revealed that only five states and the District of Columbia experienced meaningful growth in reading scores between 2022 and 2025.

On average, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading levels, with only modest recovery observed in mathematics.

A national study found that nearly one in five adolescents experienced depression between 2021 and 2023. The research further revealed that teenagers battling depression were significantly more likely to use substances such as alcohol, marijuana and opioids.

Andrew Yockey, assistant professor of public health at the University of Mississippi, and graduate student Aminul Apu, who co-authored the study published in the Journal of Medicine, Surgery and Public Health, emphasised the need for integrated intervention strategies.

“Research shows that depression will be the top contributor to mortality by 2030, and we know it is affecting adolescents,” Yockey said. “We wanted to examine the shifting patterns and correlations between depression and drug use.”

The authors argue that mental health treatment and substance abuse prevention efforts should be addressed concurrently rather than as separate issues.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies are grappling with the growing misuse of artificial intelligence in criminal activities involving children.

Cassidy Halseth, commander of the North Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force under the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, told lawmakers that AI has significantly accelerated the scale and complexity of child sexual exploitation cases.

“Child exploitation has always existed, but what AI has done is made it faster, easier and more scalable while making it harder for us to detect and investigate,” Halseth said.

The Bureau reported receiving approximately 2,700 online tips in 2025 concerning child sexual abuse material — a record high for the department — with many cases involving AI-assisted exploitation.