cover of episode A Turning Point for Ultraprocessed Foods

A Turning Point for Ultraprocessed Foods

2024/12/13
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Key Insights

What percentage of American adults are obese or overweight?

Nearly three-quarters (about 75%) of American adults are obese or overweight.

What is the definition of ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods are industrially produced products that include ingredients not typically used in home cooking, often with long lists of unrecognizable ingredients and machinery-dependent production methods.

How much of the U.S. food supply is classified as ultra-processed?

About 70% of the U.S. food supply is classified as ultra-processed.

Why have ultra-processed foods become so prevalent in the U.S.?

Ultra-processed foods are convenient, shelf-stable, and inexpensive, making them appealing to consumers. They also became more widespread after tobacco companies bought food brands in the 1980s and 1990s, introducing hyperpalatable foods that were highly addictive.

What is hyperpalatable food?

Hyperpalatable foods are those high in at least two nutrients, such as high fat and high salt, or high carbohydrate and high sugar, making them highly rewarding and difficult to stop eating.

What health conditions have been linked to ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

Why is it difficult to prove that ultra-processed foods cause health problems?

Proving causation is challenging because diet is complex, and other factors like exercise, sleep, stress, and access to healthcare can also influence health outcomes.

What did a small study by Kevin Hall reveal about ultra-processed foods?

The study found that participants gained two pounds in two weeks while consuming ultra-processed foods, eating 500 more calories per day than they did on an unprocessed diet, without realizing it.

Why do people tend to overeat ultra-processed foods?

It may be due to their hyperpalatability, which makes them more rewarding to eat, or because they pack more calories per bite, making it easier to consume more without feeling full.

What role do tobacco companies play in the rise of ultra-processed foods?

Tobacco companies, like R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, bought food brands in the 1980s and 1990s and pioneered the production of hyperpalatable, highly addictive foods, which other companies later adopted.

What are some countries doing to address ultra-processed foods?

Some countries are implementing warning labels on ultra-processed foods, limiting their marketing to children, and removing them from school meals.

Why has it taken so long to study the effects of ultra-processed foods?

Nutrition research has been underfunded, and much of it is sponsored by food companies, which may not prioritize studies on the negative effects of ultra-processed foods.

How might the trajectory of ultra-processed foods compare to that of tobacco?

Ultra-processed foods may follow a similar trajectory to tobacco, where initial resistance from industry gives way to growing scientific evidence and eventual regulation, though the complexity of food as a necessity makes this process more challenging.

Chapters
This chapter defines ultra-processed foods as industrially produced edibles with long lists of unrecognizable ingredients. It reveals that approximately 70% of the U.S. food supply falls into this category, highlighting examples like Ring Dings and flavored yogurt.
  • Ultra-processed foods are industrially produced and contain many unrecognizable ingredients.
  • About 70% of the U.S. food supply is ultra-processed.
  • Examples include Ring Dings, Wonder Bread, and flavored yogurt.

Shownotes Transcript

A new study has found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight, and there’s growing concern — among politicians, scientists and consumers — about one potential culprit: ultraprocessed foods.

Guest: Alice Callahan), a nutrition and health reporter for The New York Times, discusses how these foods came to be such a big part of what we eat, and why that’s so hard to change. 

Background reading: 

  • There’s not enough evidence to recommend avoiding ultraprocessed foods, a scientific advisory committee says. Some experts disagree).
  • Name a common condition — heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, irritable bowel syndrome — and chances are good that a diet high in ultraprocessed foods has been linked to it).

 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily). Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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