<![CDATA[Introduction. Rising ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption among adolescents poses public health concerns due to its potential links to obesity and early cardiometabolic risk. This systematic review aims to synthesize evidence on the association between UPF intake and overweight, obesity, adiposity, and cardiometabolic indicators in adolescents aged 10–19 years. Method. A systematic review of observational studies was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and other relevant databases. Study selection, data extraction, and bias assessment were independently performed by at least two reviewers. Result & Analysis. Higher UPF consumption was consistently associated with overweight and obesity (pooled OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.36–1.95) and several adiposity indicators, whereas associations with metabolic markers showed greater variability due to heterogeneity in study design, dietary assessment, outcome definitions, and confounding control. Discussion. This review provides an adolescent-specific synthesis linking UPF exposure to adiposity and metabolic disturbances. The findings highlight the need for standardized methodologies and further prospective studies to clarify causal pathways and inform targeted preventive strategies.]]>
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