"Hurry up with your breakfast or you'll be late for school!" scolds Sam and Martina's mother. She watches as Sam heaps sugar on his cereal and Martina spoons strawberry-flavoured yoghurt into her mouth. Then, she pops two slices of white bread into the toaster. That should set them up for the day!

In fact she is presiding over a breakfast disaster. None of the things her children are eating are good for them, and they will probably still feel hungry afterwards.

New research¹ has found that young children get 47% of their caloriesThe amount of energy released when your body digests and absorbs food. The more calories a food has, the more energy it gives your body. from ultra-processed foods (UPFs). By the time they are seven, this rises to 59%.

The study was carried out by experts at University College London. They looked at what 2,500 children born in 2007 and 2008 ate and drank over three days.

"Eating patterns in the early years are important, as they help set habits that can persist through childhood and into adulthood," says Professor Clare Llewellyn, who led the research.² "21-month-olds who ate more ultra-processed foods are also likely to be higher consumers of ultra-processed foods at the age of seven."

By the time they start primary school, 10% of children are obeseFor adults, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. A BMI of 25 or more is classed as overweight.. By the time they leave, almost 25% are.³

UPFs are foods which have been enhanced with chemicals, sweeteners, preservatives or colours. They are designed to be convenient, long-lasting, easy to transport and "hyper-palatable" - meaning that you can eat a lot of them.

They often contain large amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fatFats found in food such as butter, cheese and red meat. In large quantities they can lead to health problems such as heart disease., while the nutrientsSubstances that plants and animals need to live and grow. The six essential nutrients our bodies need are vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, water, and carbohydrates. we need are lost in the manufacturing process. Examples include crisps, cakes, biscuits, microwave-ready meals and pizzas.

Eating these in large quantities does not only result in obesity. Other problems associated with UPFs include high cholesterolA type of blood fat produced by the liver., high blood pressure, depressionLow mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months. and cancer.

Despite this, we keep on buying them - not only because they taste good but because they save time on cooking and are generally cheaper than food which is good for us.

Writing in the I Paper, Lucy Mangan argues that men are partly to blame because "most of the work of feeding a family - planning, budgeting, shopping, cooking - still falls disproportionately on women". No wonder, then, that they choose food that does not need a lot of preparation and they know their children will like.

Should we blame dads?

Yes: The way to avoid UPFs is to cook proper meals, which is time-consuming and requires a lot of organisation. If men did their fair share, every family would be able to eat healthily.

No: We should blame ads, not dads. The large food corporations and supermarkets have spent so much money on brainwashing us into buying UPFs that we are almost powerless against them.

Or... Making sure school meals are healthy is vital in the battle against UPFs. If children are fed properly from their earliest years, they will develop the habit of eating food that is good for them.

Calories - The amount of energy released when your body digests and absorbs food. The more calories a food has, the more energy it gives your body.

Obese - For adults, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. A BMI of 25 or more is classed as overweight.

Saturated fat - Fats found in food such as butter, cheese and red meat. In large quantities they can lead to health problems such as heart disease.

Nutrients - Substances that plants and animals need to live and grow. The six essential nutrients our bodies need are vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, water, and carbohydrates.

Cholesterol - A type of blood fat produced by the liver.

Depression - Low mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months.