Is Inexpensive Food Undermining Public Health?

Are US government agricultural subsidies undermining public health? A study several years ago suggested that people who eat a lot of processed foods made from subsidized crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat and dairy products are more likely to become overweight. Now some heavy-hitter nutrition experts have crunched the numbers and determined that reducing the sugar content of packaged foods by just 20% could prevent a surprising number of cardiovascular deaths.

Cutting Sugar in Processed Food:

The scientists modeled what happens if we reduce sugar by 20% in processed foods and 40% in beverages (Circulation, Aug. 27, 2021). (Beverage bottlers often sweeten their products with sugar.) They calculated that this change in the food supply could prevent 2.5 million strokes and heart attacks. Nearly half a million fewer people would die due to vascular causes. In addition, 750,000 people would avoid type 2 diabetes. If it contained less sugar, presumably even inexpensive food would stop undermining public health.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the lead authors, concludes:

“Our findings suggest it’s time to implement a national program with voluntary sugar reduction targets, which can generate major improvements in health, health disparities, and healthcare spending in less than a decade.”

Inexpensive Food and Weight:

In an earlier study, investigators used data from more than 10,000 people who participated in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) between 2001 and 2006. The participants averaged about 56 percent of their calories from subsidized food commodities (JAMA Internal Medicine, Aug. 2016).

Those who got more of their calories from corn, wheat, soy, sorghum and dairy-based foods were more likely to be obese. They had greater waist circumferences on average than those eating fewer foods derived from subsidized crops. They also had higher blood sugar and LDL cholesterol, risk factors for heart disease.

Why Would These Foods Be Undermining Public Health?

Most of these foods are highly processed and inexpensive. That makes them more accessible to people with low incomes. No one thinks, though, that processed foods are better for health than fresh fruits and vegetables. Some experts argue that consuming sweets can interfere with our ability to make healthy food choices.

The participants in this research were adults. Families with children are also likely to look for inexpensive food, but that could be undermining public health for the future.

Do Inexpensive Processed Foods Threaten Your Brain?

Older people are not immune from the negative effects of consuming ultra-processed foods. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition followed nearly 5,000 middle-aged and older adults for about 6 years (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May, 2025). At the beginning of the study, the volunteers filled out detailed dietary questionnaires. In addition, they took cognitive tests every two years.

The scientists report that for every additional daily serving of ultra-processed meats like pepperoni or bacon, the chance that cognitive scores would slip increased by 17%. Ultra-processed beverages such as soft drinks also increased the likelihood of cognitive decline, by a less-impressive 6%. Oddly, however, other ultra-processed food categories such as ready-to-eat meals or savory snacks were not associated with an increased risk for cognitive impairment.

As one commenter notes, correlation is not causation. An observational study like this, even though it is longitudinal, cannot prove that people’s diets are responsible for cognitive decline. On the other hand, striving to reduce our consumption of ultra-processed foods sounds like a sensible step.