Lita Chatzky

Maria Godoy, NPR News.

Prior research has linked overconsumption of ultra-processed foods to type 2 diabetes in adults, but few studies have looked at the health effects among youth.

We don't really know what's happening with these young adults.

That's Lita Chatzky of the University of Southern California.

She and her colleagues wanted to know how the diet choices of young adults influenced their risk of chronic disease.

So they followed 85 older adolescents with a history of overweight or obesity over four years.

We found something that was shocking to us.

Even a small 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods was linked to a 50% higher risk of having prediabetes.

That's early-stage high blood sugar that can lead to diabetes down the road.

Maria Godoy, NPR News.