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

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In the book, Chris takes you on a wild ride through the ups and downs of our modern food dilemma, proving it's not our fault (at least not completely)...I mean, I've always been someone who sees overweight people and just assumes it's laziness. And I've completely changed my view, realising the grip that the food industry has on us, often with messages from 'trusted' people like our own governments. And it's all from the profit hungry machine, that makes us feel like we're hungry all the time! A fearless investigation into how we have become hooked on ultra-processed food. . . . [van Tulleken’s] key message will have you scurrying to your cupboards. . . . And, if there is any justice, this gripping, well-evidenced exposé will shame policymakers and shake the food industry to its money-driven core. . . . [ Ultra-Processed People] is more than just a great science book: it breaks down a complex issue of cultural, social, economic and political importance with clarity and sensitivity but without moralising; it competently evaluates the scientific literature; and it roams the globe in search of answers.” —Financial Times One thing I was initially worried about is that this would be a boring diet book, just telling you not to eat crap. On the contrary, he actually suggests carrying on with your normal diet, while reading the book.

The additives / microbiome sections seem a little weaker to me in terms of evidence, though it skeeves me out that there's a huge loophole for the regulation of additives (self determination: company asserts it's safe, FDA is OK with that, it goes on the market). I didn't know xanthan gum was a polysaccharide made of bacterial slime, but the evidence that it messes with your gut microbiome seems tenuous (a bacterial species is present in billions of people who eat it, but absent in remote hunter-gatherer people - well, we're exposed to a a lot more stuff than just xanthan gum). Several of the studies van Tulleken cites are in mice, which are not a perfect analogue to humans, though I see the ethical problems in subjecting a human test group to huge amounts of a chemical. An eye-opening investigation into the science, economics, history and production of ultra-processed food.This is an important book about food, and how food has become something other than food in the last fifty years. Chris van Tulleken has executed a deep dive into the additives and processing methods of industrial food, and what his research reveals is eye-opening. My son has long criticized my occasional foray to McDonalds for "The Big Breakfast", telling me, "Dad, you know that's not real food, right?" Turns out he was right. One of the Italian scientists the author talked to corrected him when he used the term "ultra-processed food"; no Chris, she said, those are not foods, they are manufactured edible substances. Van Tulleken has interviewed dozens of scientists, regulators, activists, and food industry officials to get a picture of the current state of food safety, and it's not pretty. UPFs contain ingredients that our body can't process properly, causing our brain to be out of sync with our stomachs. these novel ingredients are confusing our gut microbiomes. the government does not regulate the food industry like it does the pharmaceutical industry, and there's no knowing what the long term effects of these highly processed ingredients are. If you’ve read much on this topic, nothing van Tulleken presents is new, and his argument didn’t entirely convince me. While I like the premise of describing UPF in a way that makes it unappealing, and whatever a turkey Twizzler is sounds truly disgusting, I found myself craving Cheez its and cheap chocolate pretty consistently anyway while reading.

humans are evolved to carefully regulate our own energy expenditure. doing 500 calories of exercise doesn't necessarily mean we can eat 500 extra calories of food. rather, it means that we burn about 500 less calories throughout the day on other things. this may come in the form of deeper sleep, reduced hormonal activity, or reduced anxiety/stress. the way i see this affecting my life is i no longer want to use exercise as a means to lose weight, but rather as a way to become stronger, sleep better, and feel better. Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at UCLH, and one of the BBC’s leading science presenters having worked on many flagship Health & Science programmes. His research focuses on how corporations affect human health especially in the context of child nutrition and he works with UNICEF and The World Health Organisation on this area. Chris co-presents CBBC’s Operation Ouch! alongside his twin brother Xand van Tulleken. Chris’ recently released book Ultra-Processed People explores the world of ultra-processed food and the affect it’s having on the health of the public. I gained a lot of weight,” he explained to BBC presenters Nikki Bedi and Peter Curran. “If I had continued all year [on this diet], I would have doubled my body weight and I was not forcing this food in. My hunger hormones were still sky-high after a meal, too.” Fascinating. . . . An unsettling exanimation of the food we eat and the industrial system that makes it” — TheSunday Times In Ultra-Processed People, a persuasive mix of analysis and commentary, [Chris van Tulleken] shows how [ultra-processed] foods affect our bodies and how their popularity stems in part from shady marketing and slanted science Matthew Rees, Wall Street JournalDr van Tulleken also believes we should see excess weight as a disease - and say people 'have obesity', rather than 'are obese', as it frames the condition as a disease (Image: PA)