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[Perspectives] Carlos A Monteiro: pioneer of research on ultra-processed foods

The world has witnessed many research giants in nutrition. Carlos A Monteiro, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition and Public Health at the School of Public Health, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, and Founder of the USP Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition, is easily among them. In 2009, Monteiro and his team coined the term ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and went on to develop the Nova food classification system, which groups foods according to their processing. Nova paved the way for robust, comparative research on the health impacts of UPFs.

[Comment] Offline: Watching the watchers (part 1)

The publication of Global Health Watch 7: Mobilizing for Health Justice (2025) by the People's Health Movement is an important event, one that deserves to be engaged with seriously. 63 contributors are named. Ron Labonté and Chiara Bodini are credited as co-editors. The book is divided into five sections—the global political and economic architecture; health systems; beyond health care; watching; and resistance, actions, and change. GHW7 offers a series of alternative narratives for global health, narratives that are commonly excluded from many mainstream venues, including The Lancet.

[Comment] Protecting children from ultra-processed foods

The Lancet Series on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and human health reveals that global proliferation of UPFs has become one of the most urgent yet inadequately addressed threats to human health in the 21st century.1–3 With growing evidence linking UPFs and ultra-processed dietary patterns to child malnutrition and ill health, the question is not whether action is needed, but why so many countries have yet to take meaningful action.

[Comment] Global action on ultra-processed foods: a health, equity, and sustainability imperative

The global prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise, reflecting—among other factors—systemic failures in food environments and persistent inequities in access to healthy diets. In 2024, indicators of malnutrition increased, including wasting, stunting, and obesity,1 and 2·6 billion individuals were unable to afford a healthy diet.2 Foods that comprise healthy diets, such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, are becoming increasingly inaccessible for many, whereas food products currently known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are inexpensive and widely available globally.

[Comment] Why cash transfers matter for global health—now more than ever

Government-led cash transfer programmes have been a central aspect of poverty reduction and social protection efforts in most low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) during the past two decades.1 Although primarily designed to generate socioeconomic benefits, numerous studies have shown the broad and positive effect of cash transfers on several health outcomes, sometimes with striking results. These benefits include, among others, reductions of more than 60% in the incidence and mortality of tuberculosis among Indigenous populations2 and reductions of more than 50% in HIV/AIDS incidence and mortality among extremely poor individuals in Brazil.

[Comment] The dual GLP-1–glucagon agonist pemvidutide in MASH: a phase 2b trial

Current guidelines recommend the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with rigorous lifestyle modification as well as optimised therapies for cardiometabolic comorbidities as first-line therapy,1 whereas specific pharmacological treatment for non-cirrhotic MASH with fibrosis might include resmetirom (a thyroid hormone receptor β-agonist approved in the USA and Europe)2 and semaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in the USA),3 which are both shown to improve liver histology and metabolic parameters.

[Comment] Selective amylin receptor agonism: promise beyond incretins

Obesity is increasingly recognised as a complex and heterogeneous disease arising from the interplay of genetic, behavioural, environmental, and societal factors. Its effective management demands an integrated approach encompassing lifestyle modification and psychological, medical, and surgical interventions, as well as policy measures that address obesogenic environments.1 Among all these treatment pillars, incretin-based therapies have contributed substantially in the management of obesity. Nevertheless, treatment responses with these drugs are variable, and gastrointestinal adverse effects often limit long-term adherence.

[Editorial] Ultra-processed foods: time to put health before profit

The rise of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in human diets is damaging public health, fuelling chronic diseases worldwide, and deepening health inequalities. Addressing this challenge requires a unified global response that confronts corporate power and transforms food systems to promote healthier, more sustainable diets, according to a new Lancet Series on UPFs and human health, published on Nov 19.

New statistical tools sharpen the search for causal DNA changes in livestock

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new suite of statistical methods that dramatically improves the ability to pinpoint DNA changes responsible for important traits in livestock. The work addresses long-standing challenges in fine-mapping—the process of identifying which DNA changes are responsible for trait differences between animals—especially in populations in which animals are closely related.

Lightning channels reveal hidden bursts: Lateral negative re-discharges observed for first time

A new study led by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has uncovered the first observational evidence of lateral negative re-discharges occurring on negative leader channels. Published recently in Geophysical Research Letters, the findings offer new insights into how lightning channels remain electrically active and how their structures evolve before and after a return stroke.

New massive duck-billed dinosaur species identified

There's a new dinosaur species on the block. An international team, including a biologist from Penn State Lehigh Valley, discovered that a 75-million-year-old fossil classified as a different dinosaur is its own massive, duck-billed species. Working with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, the team named the newly identified species Ahshiselsaurus wimani as a nod to the area in which it was originally found in 1916.

Astrophysicists test a new piece of the sky to probe dark matter and dark energy

In the leading model of cosmology, most of the universe is invisible: a combined 95% is made of dark matter and dark energy. Exactly what these dark components are remains a mystery, but they have a tremendous impact on our universe, with dark matter exerting a gravitational pull and dark energy driving the universe's accelerating expansion.

A new look at TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized, habitable-zone exoplanet

Of the seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, one planet in particular has attracted the attention of scientists. This planet orbits the star within the "Goldilocks zone"—a distance where water on its surface is theoretically possible, but only if the planet has an atmosphere. And where there is water, there might be life.

Space debris poses growing threat, but new study suggests cleanup is feasible

High up in Earth's orbit, millions of human-made objects large and small are flying at speeds of over 15,000 miles per hour. The objects, which range from inactive satellites to fragments of equipment resulting from explosions or collisions of previously launched rockets, are space debris, colloquially referred to as space junk. Sometimes the objects collide with each other, breaking into even smaller pieces.

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