Ultra-processed food manufacturers are increasingly using strategies pioneered by the tobacco industry to drive overconsumption—an alarming trend that could worsen the heavy burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), according to a new international study. According to the World Health Organization, NCDs account for more than two-thirds of all deaths in the country, with unhealthy diets identified as a major risk factor. “They are optimised for craving, rapid intake and repeated use—and that level of harm demands regulatory action.”The study draws striking parallels between ultra-processed food marketing and the tobacco industry’s past practices. The article appears in The Milbank Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy published by the Milbank Memorial Fund. “The fight against cancer is to a large degree a fight against NCDs, and prevention has to be pivotal,” she added.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 03, 2026 13:05 UTC