Axios Finish Line

November 15, 2024
Welcome back! Smart Brevity™ count: 272 words … 1 min. Copy edited by Amy Stern.
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1 big thing: The majority of America's diet
Stunning stat: 73% of America's food supply is made up of ultra-processed foods, like chips, candy bars and sodas.
- These foods comprise 60% of the typical adult's diet and 66% of the typical kid's diet.
Why it matters: Junk food has been linked to a host of negative health effects, from obesity and diabetes to heart disease, depression, dementia and more, AP reports.
- But the effects aren't limited to your physical health. It also hits your brain.
- And studies show that junk food's share of U.S. adults' diets has increased over the past couple of decades.
🛒 Zoom in: It's tough to lower America's consumption of ultra-processed foods when they're piled high on grocery store shelves, are often cheaper than healthy foods, and can be addicting.
- The money quote: "They have just the right combination of sugar, salt and fat, and you just can't stop eating them," says Neena Prasad, director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Food Policy Program.
🥦 Zoom out: Instead of denouncing certain foods altogether or obsessing over nutrition facts, it can be more effective to focus on the big things.
- Try to avoid foods with lots of added sugar or sky-high levels of sodium, which we know aren't great for us, Aviva Musicus, science director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, recommends.
- Try to add more fruits and vegetables to your plate. Both fresh and frozen count!
🎨 1 for the road!

Check out the sunset last night in Fort Collins, Colo., captured by reader Sydney Steel.
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