Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy noticeMany adults are showing signs of addiction to UPFs, researchers have warned, with women aged in their fifties and sixties most at risk. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) - such as sweets, fast food and sugary beverages - are highly modified products that contain high quantities of fat, salt, sugar and flavourings. Among adults aged 65 to 80, only 12 per cent of women and 4 per cent of men were found to be addicted. If current trends continue, future generations may show even higher rates of ultra-processed food addiction later in life.