Book Review
Title: Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food by Chris van Tulleken
Genre: Non-Fiction, Food, Science
Rating: 5 Stars
Ultra Processed People had an interesting introduction as we are introduced to the idea that almost everything we consume in western countries has been processed to a point where it is actually detrimental to consume but we continue to do. These processed food are the leading cause of obesity which is often blamed on the person living with it but in actuality it is the food. The food is to blame because it has been processed and altered with addictive substances and chemicals our bodies can’t process. While the rich can afford to live naturally, many others can’t so buy the cheapest foods available which happened to be the highest processed or UPF.
We start by learning about how things like dairy products and fats are altered before entering our food and this process while it makes sense from a business perspective, using the cheapest products to maximise profits. It definitely is a concern from a health perspective as we are putting so many chemicals and additives into our bodies that we can’t process and further down the line they end up making us sick from obesity to digestive disorders to much worse. We look at food in a completely different light in this book and even early on I was surprised by things I was learning. It turns out that a lot of food supplements we take don’t work outside of the food they come from meaning if you eat things like oily fish you get the supplements but taking omega 3 supplements doesn’t work and can actively work against you. It is also discussed how processing of food isn’t counted towards it nutritional levels when it should be as that plays a huge role.
While some of the discussions and definitions so far seem vague we have to remember that a lot of real-life science often starts with something arbitrary and good science can withstand this arbitrary beginning by backing its claims up with evidence. In the physical sciences this is easier because that have a solid base which can often been seen, heard or felt but this isn’t the case with every science which is why there is a lot of backlash felt for topics like UPF. We then dive down a rabbit hole of how UPF studies and research is mainly funded by the companies that make the UPF foods and how this conflict of interest is often swept under the rug which opens a whole other can of worms. Despite this it seems that many people don’t understand that the marketing is what drives a lot of consumption. For example some foods might be marketing as healthy but at their core they are still UPF and therefore damaging to the body.
UPF has also been shown to have the same characteristics as other addictive substances like tobacco and alcohol. When looking at an MRI of someone eating a high UPF diet, clear links can be seen in the rewards centres of the brain which is also seen in people with addiction and yet UPF isn’t technically classified as an addictive substance and it should be. Tulleken also proposes the idea that UPF manufacturers should be held to the same standards as those that manufacture addictive products like cigarettes. What he means by this is things like Coca-Cola would have to health warnings printed on the packaging which might not deter a lot of people but it would provide more knowledge about what the product does to your body. Coca-Cola is my personal addiction and I am trying to cut down on it but it is one of the few drinks I find palatable and it is designed and created with this exact scenario in mind.
Tulleken in part three is going to be diving even further into the manufacturing of these products and what they really hide beneath their pretty packaging and catchy commercials. Tulleken breaks down what is actually in these UPF foods and what they do to our bodies and most of them are extremely harmful over longer periods of time. For example, a lot of UPF products have the same texture, salt and sugar levels meaning over time they all taste the same but never satisfy our hunger leading to overconsumption and poor nutrition. Also marketing comes back in as products that are aimed at people that go to the gym, protein bars and shakes, are actually full of chemicals that do nothing but harm. We also have to remember that we can only absorb a small amount of protein through the gut so a lot of that additional protein end ups as a byproduct. It also starts as a byproduct since a lot of these synthetic proteins are a waste product that was formerly fed to animals like cows but is now marketing to people.
Tulleken also begins to break down what you can do about it if you are looking to change your diet. According to him the things to look for are the extremely soft textures and any chemicals that you don’t immediately recognise. The ones that he points out are artificial colours, flavouring and emulsifiers as these are known to have adverse effects on health especially on the guts microbiome over time. There are several studies that back up these claims both in animals and humans but still many people are unaware of the consequences of eating these foods or they do know but real food has become so expensive and hard to find they have no other choice but to eat these UPF foods which then leads to addiction and the cycle continues endlessly. While this might be depressing to some, I know it was to me, it is comforting to learn that while they aren’t overly harmful in small quantities trying to locate real food you can replace the UPF foods with should be your primary mission if you are looking to cut these out.
Tulleken is part four explores the societal and global impacts of UPF which are for more reaching than most people understand. We have to understand beforehand that these companies don’t exist to provide nutritional food it exists to make money for the people that run the company. This exchanges to food chain to a money supply chain and this fundamental change affects everything. This not only affects our health but other areas that are just as important. for example, it affect the environment ecology as rain forests and other natural spaces that naturally provide food are cut down to grow products that are used to replace those natural foods found in those areas. This seems entirely illogical when you explain to people but when you frame it as a money making scheme which it is then it makes sense since the businesses want to create as many products for as cheap as possible to maximise profit. However, for the food chain this means natural sources of whole foods are being destroyed in favour of UPFs and while people with time and resources to demand a whole food diet are doing so it won’t create any change until everyone demands it.
Despite this we are also aware that change will be slow and have incredibly pushback from these companies. If we look at the tobacco industry, for example, when it was found that these products were harmful the industry itself pushed back against change because it meant making less money and making their products harder to sell. UPFs will do the exact same thing meaning any significant change might be decades or centuries away if we don’t start the process immediately but to do so there needs to be free and accurate information provided to all especially those unprivileged. Tulleken also brings up the exploitation that these companies are involved in. KFC is essentially appropriating an element of black culture that originated during the time of slavery without acknowledging this. While companies like Nestle are peddling their goods to poor and undereducated communities in Brazil who lacks the infrastructure and resources to deal with the health issues these foods cause.
The entire sections on policy making and how people in charge of creating policies cannot be in partner with the companies creating the issues had my blood boiling. It was enraging to learn that a lot of policies implemented over the past couple of decades were made because the people making them were in the pockets of the companies that created the issues in the first place. While I admit that a few of these companies might have good intentions, although I highly doubt it, there is a difference in the aims of the company versus policymakers. Policymakers aim to correct or deal with issues like obesity while companies aim to make money by selling as many of these products as possible with little or no regard for the health of the consumers. Due to this it is impossible for policymakers and companies to work together especially when money is changing hands. I agree with what Tulleken said about moving forward in which policymakers should not be able to take money from these companies.
This would mean companies could buy the desired outcomes and it would ensure that the policymakers are completely impartial in the decisions they are making. Now do I believe this will ever happen, no, because the way our entire system works is on consumption and greed. This unfortunately means that people will continue to be bought by the companies that are destroying both the ecological world and society as we know it along with our health and the only way to stop it would be a radical overhaul of the system but that can only happen when everyone demands change. It definitely changed my perspective on several things I currently eat and drink although I have begun the process to try and get away from these products but it will be a long and difficult road. I would recommend this to all purely for the informational benefit even if you take nothing else from the book but I hope you will.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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