Ultra-processed foods are becoming more and more prevalent, in our grocery stores and around the world – and as we learn more about their long-term health effects, experts are growing increasingly concerned. (What are “ultra-processed foods”? In a nutshell: anything that contains an ingredient you’re not going to find at any grocery store.) The medical journal The Lancet recently published a series of three papers about the health impacts of ultra-processed foods – and what ought to be done about it from a policy angle.
Click here to read summaries of all three papers.
One of those papers was authored by Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Popkin joined Aaron in 97.9 The Hill studios to discuss ultra-processed foods and their health implications – and what policymakers should be doing about it, on the national and local levels.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.
Listen:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe:
Related Stories
‹
![]()
Equity in Health Care - December 11, 2025What is the state of health care today, both nationally and here in our community? And what needs to be done to address disparities?

'I Could Not Be Happier': UNC's Nabarun Dasgupta Wins 'Genius' Grant for Lifesaving Work in Opioid FightUNC researcher Nabarun Dasgupta discusses winning a MacArthur "genius" grant - and the lifesaving research that earned it.

UNC Sees 30 Graduate Programs Place Highly in 2025 U.S. News & World Report RankingsTwo UNC graduate schools placed in the top three of their respective categories in the 2025 rankings shared by the U.S. News & World Report.

UNC Experts Present Efforts to Combat Opioid-Related Deaths in Campus CommunityAt the most recent UNC BOT meeting, researchers and health professionals shared what the university is doing to combat opioid overdoses on campus.

UNC Names Next Dean of Gillings School of Global Public HealthUNC leadership announced Dr. Nancy Messonnier as the next dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health on Wednesday.

New UNC Vaccine Aims to Protect Against COVID Variants, Future PandemicsScientists at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health have developed a new vaccine that could be effective against COVID-19 and its variants while also protecting against a future coronavirus pandemic.

Robotics, Grants Help Accelerate UNC Coronavirus ResearchNew research, robotics and grant funding is helping to accelerate coronavirus research at UNC. A $433,000 grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, also called the CZI, will fund a robotic arm as UNC researchers work towards a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the university, more lives may be saved with this new technology that can process […]

UNC Sophomore Guard Lanie Grant to Enter Transfer PortalSophomore guard Lanie Grant, who helped lead UNC to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2025 and 2026, will enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens Monday, April 6. Grant made the announcement on social media Wednesday evening. Proud of everything we accomplished over the past two years with my teammates and coaches, and so […]

UNC Club Brings Solar Energy to TABLE, Saving the Pantry Money and Expanding Food AccessWhile not visible to those passing by, something new decorates the rooftop of TABLE’s downtown Carrboro facility.

Chansky's Notebook: Dead Man Walking?With Hubert Davis dismissed, no seat will be hotter in Chapel Hill than UNC head football coach Bill Belichick’s this fall.
›