Improving consumer understanding of food and drink choices by reframing unhealthy diets through the lens of ultra-processing

Over-consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks has led to a decades-long global health crisis. Heavily marketed ultra-processed unhealthy foods and drinks have come to dominate the food environment, leaving people confused about what they should consume. This research program will generate evidence to inform health policy on whether reframing food using the ‘NOVA system’ will improve the provision of sound and easily understood dietary advice compared to a solely nutrient-based system. The NOVA system emphasises the uniquely harmful health consequences of over-consuming ‘ultra-processed’ products (i.e. industrially produced using low-cost ingredients to create long-lasting and appetising products, like pies and soft drinks).

This research will significantly advance the evidence-base on strategies to improve consumer understanding of dietary risk which has the potential to reverse decades of policy inaction on obesity.