Ultra-processed food makers are under pressure, as a teen in Pennsylvania has launched a lawsuit against multiple food giants.
Bryce Martinez, 18, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease at 16 after consuming ultra-processed foods throughout his childhood, is taking on 11 food manufacturers for allegedly engineering the foods to be addictive, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Between 5% and 10% of American children had non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as of 2021, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
TEEN SUES FOOD GIANTS OVER ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH FATTY LIVER DISEASE
« NAFLD has become more common in children in recent decades, in part because childhood obesity has become more common, » the NIDDK wrote on its website.
One in five kids between 12 and 18 are pre-diabetic, according to CDC data from 2019. (Fox News)
In a Sunday appearance on « Fox & Friends Weekend, » Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier commented that these statistics are « shocking but not surprising. »
« We’ve been watching this trend happen for the last decade or so, » she said. « And while we have come to accept the fact that American adults tend to be overweight and have metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes and diabetes, it’s now going into our children. »
ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS MAKE UP 60% OF AMERICA’S DIET, WHO’S AT BIGGEST RISK
This progression « makes sense, » according to Saphier, as children often adopt the lifestyle choices of their parents.
« Those lifestyle behaviors, unfortunately, [are] now harming our children, » she said.
Poor lifestyle habits of American adults are transferring over to their children, Saphier suggested. (iStock)
The doctor agreed that « harmful consumerism » markets products that could gravely impact health, much like « big tobacco, » alcohol and some pharmaceuticals.
« These all have addiction potentials, » Saphier said. « They really feed on our natural dopamine pathways, which are the reward centers in the brain. »
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« If the product is harming the actual consumer … is it working for the consumer or is it purely profit-driven? » Saphier asked. « Because the harsh reality is people profit off addiction. »
In the case of Bryce Martinez, Saphier noted that « marketing is very aggressive, especially to our younger generations. » But she also questioned – « where are the parents? »
Dr. Nicole Saphier joined ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ on Dec. 15, 2024. (Fox News)
« We also as individuals have to be holding ourselves accountable for some of this as well, » she added.
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« Yes, there are aggressive and harmful marketing campaigns, there [are] disgusting chemicals in our food supply, especially what’s accessible to lower-income populations – but also we have to think of, as the individual, what are we choosing to do. »
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Fox News Digital’s Maria Lencki contributed to this report.
