Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food

Ultra-Processed People (2023) is a work of nutritional science and economics by British scientist Chris van Tulleken that discusses the rise of “ultra-processed food,” or UPF, in our diets. Created by industrial processes unavailable to humans throughout most of history, UPF, he argues, is responsible for many health problems, as it interferes with our body’s complex evolved relationship with food. Specifically, he argues that UPF causes obesity due to its calorie-dense, nutrient-poor nature, which makes us, in search of the same calorie “hit,” crave missing nutrients. Van Tulleken also argues that UPF damages the environment. Because of the energy-intensive nature of UPF production and the extensive supply chains it requires, UPF contributes significantly to global warming. Van Tulleken suggests that some of these effects can be mitigated if consumers have access to better information on UPF and if UPF marketing practices are regulated.

This guide refers to the 2023 Cornerstone Press edition.

Content Warning: This guide discusses addiction and chronic illness.

Summary

Ultra-Processed People is divided into five parts and a short Introduction. In the Introduction, van Tulleken defines “ultra-processed food,” or UPF, as food created by industrial processes that have been unavailable to humans throughout most of their history. These synthetic foods risk upsetting our bodies’ complex relationship with food that has evolved over millennia to ensure our health. As such, van Tulleken argues that UPF is responsible for a range of contemporary health problems, from obesity to cancer. In Part 1, van Tulleken examines the economic rationale behind UPF—the cheap recreation of versions of traditional, non-UPF food. This is accomplished by replacing expensive ingredients, like butter or cream, with cheaper UPF alternatives using modified starches and oils. The addition of other chemicals, like gums and emulsifiers, allows UPF to be stored and transported more easily, thus reducing costs further.

In Part 2, van Tulleken considers the commonly cited causes of obesity. First, he examines the idea that obesity is caused by excess sugar consumption, as sugar spikes insulin levels, creating fat and more hunger. He cites a 2012 study that found no difference in weight gain between those put on a high- or low-carbohydrate diet. Next, he challenges the idea that weight gain is caused by lack of exercise. He argues that reduced activity does not cause weight gain because when we exercise more, our bodies simply take calories from other non-essential systems to maintain a constant level of calorie expenditure. Instead, he argues that obesity is likely caused by the interference of UPF with our bodily systems for regulating hunger and satiation, leading us to compulsively consume more.

In Part 3, having shown that evidence links UPF to obesity, van Tulleken examines why this is the case. First, he says that this is because UPF is soft and dry. Thus, we can eat more of it than non-UPF food before our sense of satiation sets in. In addition, the dryness of UPF, designed so it can last longer, makes UPF more calorie dense. Second, the intensive processing of UPF destroys the micronutrient content of food, thus destroying its smell. Companies must therefore add artificial flavorings to food to make it smell appetizing. However, this has the effect of making us consume more, as we keep searching for the missing micro-nutrients that we need.

In Part 4, van Tulleken examines the system for regulating new additives. He finds it to be inadequate. Since 1997, US firms have been able to determine for themselves whether new additives are safe. Next, van Tulleken looks at the broader social impact of UPF. First, he highlights how UPF displaces traditional diets. As evidenced since the 1980s in Brazil, the cheapness and convenience of UPF has led to the undermining of the local diet based on whole foods and its replacement by UPF. Such a change has led to a dramatic rise in rates of obesity in lower-income nations. UPF also contributes significantly to global warming. This is due to the burning of fossil fuels required for mechanical processing of whole foods and the extensive supply chains required to take, and combine, ingredients from multiple nations.

Part 5 looks at what can be done to address the problems of UPF. Van Tulleken argues that UPF firms are unable to solve these problems themselves. Driven by profit motive, they have an incentive to promote more consumption. Van Tulleken draws two conclusions from the response to the Nestle formula scandal, in which Nestle’s promotion of baby formula to mothers in poor nations led to thousands of infant deaths. First, van Tulleken says, the people who make policy should not be funded by the food industry. Second, the control and regulation of marketing practices and better information for consumers is more effective than outright bans. Finally, van Tulleken discusses options for those who want to quit eating UPF. He suggests going on the 80% UPF diet for a few days, like he did, as well as abstaining if they find that they have an addictive relationship to UPF.