South African universities are at the forefront of highlighting the dangers of ultra-processed foods for child health, drawing on fresh global evidence from a landmark Lancet series. Researchers from Wits University and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) are leading discussions on how these industrially formulated products—high in sugars, unhealthy fats, salts, and additives—are infiltrating young diets, contributing to a surge in obesity, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among children.

The sub-Saharan launch of the Lancet's Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health series, hosted by the SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science—known as PRICELESS SA—at the Wits School of Public Health, underscored the urgency. Attendees, including policymakers and advocates, explored how ultra-processed foods (UPFs), defined by the NOVA classification as formulations of cheap industrial ingredients with little intact whole foods, are displacing nutrient-rich traditional African diets like maize porridge, vegetables, and legumes.

🌍 The Global Wake-Up Call from the Lancet Series

The three-paper Lancet series, published in November 2025, compiles systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and original data showing UPFs now dominate diets worldwide, comprising over 50% of energy intake in some adolescent populations. The first paper, led by Professor Carlos Monteiro from the University of São Paulo, establishes that high UPF consumption drives overeating due to hyper-palatability—engineered textures and flavors that bypass satiety signals—leading to poorer nutrient profiles and heightened chronic disease risks.

For children, a companion piece in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health details how early exposure—from first complementary foods—shapes lifelong habits. UNICEF data reveals over 50% of children aged 6–23 months in many low- and middle-income countries consume sugary UPFs daily, correlating with cardiometabolic markers like elevated waist circumference and dyslipidemia. Globally, obesity in 5–19-year-olds overtook underweight in 2025, a shift experts attribute partly to UPF proliferation.

The series' third paper, co-authored by Wits' Professor Karen Hofman, calls for unified global action against corporate tactics like aggressive child-targeted marketing. Professor Hofman emphasized during the Wits event: commercial interests prioritize profits over health, necessitating policies to counter this power.

South Africa's Alarming UPF Consumption Trends

In South Africa, UPFs account for 39% of daily energy intake among low-income adults, per a UWC-led study analyzing 2,521 participants from Langa, Khayelitsha, and Mount Frere. Younger adults (18–29 years) derive over 40% of calories from UPFs, versus 22% for those 40–50. Only 7% meet WHO fruit and vegetable guidelines, with fibre intake dismal at under 19% compliance.

Supermarkets stock 76–80% UPFs, dominating shelf space and affordability amid rising fresh produce costs. For children, urban 6–36-month-olds show 83.9% weekly UPF beverage consumption, fueling early obesity—13% of under-fives are overweight, with NCDs rising regionally.

Wits' Professor Tobias Chirwa, Head of the School of Public Health, noted at the launch: "Obesity and NCDs are on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa," linking UPFs to this double burden of malnutrition—stunting alongside overweight.

Child-Specific Health Risks Amplified in SA Context

Children face unique vulnerabilities: rapid growth phases make poor diets detrimental, imprinting preferences for hyper-palatable UPFs. Lancet evidence ties childhood UPF intake to higher BMI, fat mass, and lipid issues, portending type 2 diabetes and heart disease adulthood.

In South Africa, this manifests in soaring child obesity, exacerbated by socioeconomic factors. Low-income families, stretched by food inflation, opt for cheap, long-shelf-life UPFs like sugary cereals and snacks, leading to 'hidden hunger'—calorie-sufficient but nutrient-poor diets. UWC's Professor Rina Swart warns UPFs lack fibre, vitamins, and minerals essential for child development, heightening obesity and diet-related NCD risks, especially among women and youth.

Mental health links emerge too: UPFs' additives may disrupt gut-brain axes, correlating with behavioral issues. Aggressive marketing—cartoons on packaging—targets kids, as Sasha Stevenson of SECTION27 highlighted at Wits: UPFs mimic nicotine addiction, hitting children hardest.

Leading SA University Research Initiatives

South African higher education institutions are pivotal. Wits' PRICELESS SA, directed by Professor Hofman, models health economics, advocating front-of-pack labelling and marketing curbs. Their work informed the Lancet paper, analyzing corporate strategies in Africa.

UWC's Centre of Excellence in Food Security, under Professor Swart, produced the low-income UPF study, revealing stark dietary inadequacies. Dr Tamryn Frank's analysis using NOVA classification shows top UPF consumers exceed energy limits while skimping protectives, urging policy shifts.

Other unis contribute: Stellenbosch University examines nutrition transitions; UKZN studies child feeding practices. Collaborative efforts, like SAMRC-funded projects, track UPF impacts via cohorts, providing data for national strategies.Explore the Lancet policy paper co-authored by Wits experts.

Mechanisms: How UPFs Harm Developing Bodies

• Hyper-palatability: Soft textures, intense flavors promote overconsumption; kids eat 500+ extra kJ daily from UPFs.
• Nutrient displacement: Crowds out whole foods, causing deficiencies in iron, zinc, vital for cognition and immunity.
• Additives: Emulsifiers alter gut microbiota; artificial sweeteners confuse metabolism.
• Marketing: SA kids bombarded via TV/social media, normalizing UPFs from infancy.

Step-by-step: Child tastes UPF weaning food → prefers ultra-palatable over breastmilk/mush → habitual overeating → adiposity rebound → lifelong metabolic dysregulation.

Stakeholder Perspectives: Voices from SA Academia

Professor Amos Laar (University of Ghana, Lancet co-author) at Wits: Africa's retail transformation makes UPFs staples; child underweight-obesity convergence demands urgent policies—labelling, incentives for healthy foods, marketing bans.

Dr Joan Matji (UNICEF): Children vulnerable during growth; poor diets cause irreversible harm. Local NGOs like SECTION27 push litigation against lax regulations.

Government views: Department of Health eyes sugar taxes; unis lobby via PRICELESS for evidence-based reforms.

Case Studies: Real-World Impacts in SA Communities

In Khayelitsha, UWC data shows families spending 60% budget on UPFs due to convenience, correlating with 20% child overweight rates. Mount Frere rural diets shift from staples to sodas, stunting persists at 27% alongside obesity.

Wits cohorts track NCD trajectories: Kids with high UPF intake at age 5 show 2x diabetes risk by teens. Interventions like school gardens yield 15% veggie intake boosts.

Challenges and Barriers in South Africa

Food deserts in townships favor spaza UPFs; poverty (55% households food-insecure) prioritizes calories over nutrition. Corporate lobbying stalls labelling; informal markets evade regs.

COVID accelerated UPF reliance via lockdowns/home delivery.

Solutions: Actionable Insights from SA Researchers

• Policy: Mandatory Nutri-Score labelling; child ad bans <13yrs.
• Education: Uni-led campaigns, e.g., Wits nutrition modules in schools.
• Access: Subsidies for local produce; urban farming via UWC extension.
• Industry: Reformulation incentives; tax UPFs funding healthy alternatives.

Professor Monteiro: Avoiding UPFs halves energy intake, doubles weight loss. SA can pioneer via Africa CDC collaborations.

Future Outlook: Hope Through University-Led Innovation

With 2026 Health Compact, SA unis forecast 20% UPF reduction via policies, averting R100bn NCD costs. Wits/UWC train next-gen nutritionists; longitudinal studies guide. Optimism: Traditional diets' revival, empowered by evidence.Read UWC's landmark UPF study. Lancet child UPF paper details lifelong risks.

Stakeholders unite: Unis provide data, govt regulates, communities reclaim diets. Children's futures hinge on acting now.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash