NEW DELHI: A latest global report has said that there is compelling evidence that ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is associated not only with diseases like diabetes, heart diseases and obesity, but also with diminished emotional and cognitive functioning in young adults.
The just released The Global Mind Health 2025 report by Washington-based Sapien Labs under the Global Mind Project said that regular UPF consumption in India was relatively low compared to other countries. It was 44% among those in the age group of 18-34 and substantially higher than the 11% for those above 55.
The report revealed that 41% of Internet-enabled young adults (18–34 years) globally are experiencing clinically significant mind health challenges. Young adults are now nearly four times more likely than adults over 55 to report serious impairment in their ability to function productively in daily life.
According to Dr. Arun Gupta, Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a think tank working on evidence-based nutrition policy, "For India, the implications are profound. The country’s demographic dividend depends on a mentally resilient, cognitively capable young population.”
“This report compels us to rethink ultra-processed foods not merely as a contributor to obesity, but as a potential driver of declining cognitive and emotional resilience in our younger populations. When dietary patterns begin to erode attention, emotional control and mental well-being, the issue is no longer individual choice; it becomes a matter of national human capital. Protecting the food and nutritional environment of children and adolescents is, therefore, an investment in India’s intellectual and economic future,” he added.
For the study, researchers examined UPF consumption across 2024 and 2025 in 85 countries by asking respondents to select from five categories of UPF consumption frequency from “Several times a day” to “Rarely/Never.”
The results for those consuming UPF most days of the week or more in two age bands 18-34 (221,190) and those over 55 (300,522) are reported. Across the Internet-enabled world, 54% of those 18-34 consumed UPF regularly compared to only 26% of those over 55.
Among the identified contributors to mind health decline; early smartphone exposure, weakened family bonds, reduced spirituality and ultra-processed food consumption, UPFs emerge as a modifiable and policy-relevant determinant.
This represents a significant shift in the public health conversation.
For several years, ultra-processed foods have been primarily discussed in relation to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Emerging evidence now suggests that their impact may extend to emotional regulation, cognitive control, and resilience.
These human capacities are essential for workforce productivity and societal stability.
A number of studies across different populations have linked high consumption of UPFs to an increased risk of mental health problems.
UPF consumption is most strongly associated with symptoms of depression and challenges with emotional and cognitive control.
A recent Lancet analysis on UPFs and human health showed that India is one of the fastest growing markets for UPFs. The consumption of UPF has grown significantly and rapidly over the past 15 years. This study found it is far greater among younger generations, about four times higher than the above 55 group.
"This study provides the first quantitative estimate of the aggregate burden of adverse mental functioning associated with increasingly frequent UPF consumption. It calls for a greater attention to UPF research and policy as a means to mitigate the mental health burden. It strengthens the case for incorporating UPF reduction recommendations into regulations," said Dr Gupta.
The findings reinforce the urgency of clear statutory warning labels on front of the pre-packaged food products which are High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) and provide support to the recent Supreme Court’s order on the issue, he added.
Further, he said, it reiterates the Economic Survey 2025-26 recommendations for restrictions on advertising of such products to children and adolescents. "In addition, reform of school food environments, higher GST on such products would need the attention of policy makers with a sense of priority," Dr Gupta added.
"Regulations on HFSS food products should not be seen as an act against industry. It is a step toward safeguarding public health and building national human capital. Prevention-oriented policy today can avert long-term mental, social, and economic costs tomorrow. The Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), therefore, urges policymakers to view the Global Mind Health findings as a signal for timely structural reform," he added.