Understanding ultraprocessed foods in the American diet, with Krista Blackwell, Ph.D.

Krista Blackwell, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville, joins the show to talk about two new reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) examining ultraprocessed foods and their growing role in the American diet.

Blackwell explains why youth consumption stood out in the data, how convenience, family routines, school meals and food marketing influence eating patterns, and what the latest research says about cardiometabolic risks. She also discusses how primary care physicians can approach nutrition counseling more effectively using motivational interviewing and principles of culinary medicine.

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Music Credits:
Midnight Jazz by Alexey Anisimov - stock.adobe.com
Relaxing Lounge by Classy Call me Man - stock.adobe.com
A Textbook Example by Skip Peck - stock.adobe.com

Editor's note: Episode timestamps and transcript produced using AI tools.

0:00 — Intro
Overview of today’s topic: new CDC and American Heart Association reports on ultra-processed foods.

1:30 — First impressions of the new data
Dr. Blackwell explains why the findings align with lifestyle-medicine training and culinary-medicine education.

2:43 — CDC survey surprises
Why children ages 6–11 had the highest intake of ultra-processed foods.

3:56 — Pandemic effects on diet
How COVID-19 changed food preparation, access, and reliance on processed foods differently for different populations.

5:56 — Why kids consume so many ultra-processed foods
Marketing, school meals, fast-food access, and environmental factors.

6:40 — Key takeaways from the AHA scientific advisory
What the advisory says about saturated fat, sugar, sodium, additives, and unknowns about processing techniques.

8:47 — Are 70% of grocery-store products “bad”?
How to evaluate ultra-processed foods using nutrition labels and the “1:1 sodium-to-calories” rule taught in culinary medicine.

10:24 — How physicians can approach nutrition counseling
Motivational interviewing, identifying small changes, and real-world examples for primary care.

12:20 — How patients respond to motivational interviewing
Why meeting people where they are leads to better engagement.

14:09 — What culinary medicine looks like in practice
Hands-on patient cases, meal prep, and teaching medical students practical nutrition skills.

16:29 — What future research needs to explore
Additives, processing methods, and understanding their impact on cardio-metabolic disease.

17:41 — The GLP-1 conversation
How GLP-1 drugs fit into the gut-brain axis research and what they mean for individualized patient care.

19:29 — Ultra-processed foods and national policy
How MAHA and recent federal attention could accelerate progress.

21:03 — Defining “ultra-processed” foods
Why the lack of a unified definition complicates dietary guidelines.

22:23 — Where primary care physicians can learn more
Culinary-medicine certification and integrating nutrition into practice.

24:12 — What global models can teach the U.S.
Australia and EU “health scores” and how clearer labeling could help patients.

25:47 — Closing thoughts
Full-circle wrap-up and final remarks from Richard Payerchin and Dr. Blackwell.

26:12 — Outro
Show credits and where to find future episodes.