Chris van Tulleken takes a look at Ultra Processed Foods and how they are causing health issues and weight gain. While much of the information he provides isn't entirely new, it does act as a reminder to consider what goes into the foods you regularly consume. He makes a few salient points about how many food and health studies are funded by the companies who produce those foods, but he also doesn't address how to change any of the current policies or systems in place. Overall, this encourages people to think about the effects of consuming UPF, but doesn't provide any particular method for how to avoid doing so, especially if working on a limited budget. While the study this book was based on is very interesting, the narrative of this book felt like it meandered about at times and included anecdotes that didn't support the main theme.

The recent New York Times bestseller, ULTRA-PROCESSED PEOPLE is written by Chris van Tulleken, a BBC television and radio broadcaster whose relevant credentials include a medical degree from Oxford, a PhD in molecular virology, and a position as an associate professor at University College London. In addition, van Tulleken is willing to experiment with his own body, allowing ultra-processed foods to account for 80% of his daily calorie intake for a month. Afterwards, he gained weight, slept poorly, and became more anxious while noting "ironically, food often felt like the solution rather than the problem." Van Tulleken splits the text into five sections, with background on what we are eating, ideas about control and addiction, physical and psychological reactions to these products, as well as associated costs and possible solutions. With approximately 10 percent devoted to notes, this text is full of facts about nutrition, physiology, and ingredients – many are disturbing. They may not be enough to change strong habits or combat the addictive qualities of these processed items, but they will definitely have readers looking at food labels in a new way. ULTRA-PROCESSED PEOPLE, about "The Science Behind the Food That Isn't Food" (more like "an industrially produced edible substance," per one scientist van Tulleken interviewed), was a Next Big Idea Club selection for June 2023. For interested readers, related texts include 2015's The Dorito Effect, 2013's Grain Brain (updated in 2018) and 2021's Metabolical.

I consider this a must read book, and although I’m adding to my list, there aren’t many on it.

This book is full of knowledge, well researched and well written. We learn about ultra-processed food (UPF) and what it’s doing to our bodies, our society and the environment.

If you’re on a health journey, health curious, trying to find a connection for possible ailments you have and eat processed food, this book will enlighten you.

Connections about disease and earlier deaths are linked to UPF and it’s astounding this stuff is regulated for consumption by our govt. I highly encourage everyone to read this just to understand what they are putting into their bodies and how it affects us on both the daily and long term.

*4.5 stars rounded up.

Ultra-processed food: So tasty. So convenient. So prevalent on the grocery store shelves world wide. But is it killing us? Driving the obesity epidemic? Contributing to Type-2 diabetes, heart attack, cancer? Dr Chris van Tulleken thinks so and presents some compelling scientific studies and information to advance that theory.

Definition of ultra-processed food: 'If it's wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn't usually find in a standard home kitchen, it's UPF.'

Much of this information I was already familiar with, having read several books on the subject. But I don't think I had really considered the sociological ramifications associated with UPFs. Dr van Tulleken writes about how the spread of cheap ultra-processed food around the world has displaced much of the world's food culture and explains how it drives inequality, poverty and early death and damages the planet.

I believe this is a must-read book for anyone at all concerned about health issues or even the environment.

I received an arc of this important book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

If you are looking for science-heavy, evidence-backed information about what ultra-processed food is and how it has become so much a part of the average person's diet, as well as how a mostly UPF diet affects humans, this book is an excellent choice. The author has done extensive research into the topic, with footnotes that add further information about the history of UPF and other anecdotal information. He doesn't shy away from calling out mega corporations and the scientists whose research is funded by the food industry, and he makes a good case for how the food industry has influenced government policy that is intended to ensure that the corporations make a healthy profit more than that citizens will improve their diets.

I was expecting a more thorough description of how embarking on an 80% UPF diet for a month affected the author's health, but this was not the major focus, and was addressed minimally. There wasn't, in fact, much in the way of personal experiences of either the author or others, this isn't a personal journey kind of book. Very informative, and policymakers should take a hard look at who and how they are influenced.

Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the digital ARC of Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is a very informative and eye-opening look at what chemicals and substances are being put into our food. This is a must-read for everyone.

I really enjoyed reading this book it discusses the overly processed food we eat everyday. I think this is no surprise the amount of chemicals in our food but this book went into detail and provided insightful information.

Ultra-Processed People is extremely educational, covering not only the science of highly processed foods, but the history of food manufacturing as well. Chris van Tulleken explains in easy to understand language why highly processed food is behind our obesity epidemic and why we must read not only nutritional information on food labels, but more importantly, ingredient lists. This book tackles the tough issues of poverty and food deserts, the addictive nature of highly processed foods and the health problems these foods create. This book offered much more than I was expecting.

Much as Mark Schatzker did with The Dorito Effect, here we have a exploration of high processed 'food' so pervasive in the market today. From preservatives to flavorings, emulsifiers to colorings, the author discusses in a genial and friendly manner the various "flood like objects" that make up ultra processed food (UPF). It's eye opening, disturbing, and very relevant to the issues currently facing the world with obesity and chronic illnesses.

Perhaps the fundamental question asked is if you eat an ultra processed food item and a non processed food item and they have the same nutrition profiles, why do studies show that one causes obesity where the other one doesn't? Is it because one is hyperpalatable so you eat more (e.g., more salt and sugar)? Is it because the intense processing means the food is 'soft' and eaten quickly and easy - causing you to eat more? Is it because it has a high calorie density high in fat and sugar so you get more calories per mouthful? Is it because of it is often micronutrient deficient so your body demands more and more to try to get those missing nutrients? Is it because it is addictive, so binges are too often unavoidable? Is it because the emulsifiers, preservatives, modified starches and other additive damage your gut flora and allow inflammatory bacteria to grow? Is it because the convenience, price, and attractiveness from marketing mean people use it snack all the time? These don't even take into effect the environment destruction, carbon emissions and plastic pollution tolls on society. Sadly, the answer appears to be all of the above, making it a difficult issue to tackle with so many hydra heads to address and remove.

This is a very easy read and the author avoids the temptation to simplify, overgeneralize, or sensationalize. That said, there are several tangents that are not really as relevant: such as the author deciding to go on a full UPF diet just to see the effects (a la Super Size Me). His conclusion about being forced to read the labels to determine how processed a food was made him aware of all the crazy additives that can make up the difference between one brand and another of the same item (e.g., granola) - thereby putting him off those foods. But it fell flat and there weren't enough conclusions from his own anecdotal experience to really make them a point in the book. He says that he and his brother both went off UPF for good after doing the experiment and thinks we will too - but never clearly goes over why. There are also some tangential discussions on the evolution of eating that meandered a bit and were not really informative enough to feel like anything other than padding. Other overlong sections included following a Nestle barge shop on the Amazon as it introduced UPF to remove Brazilian villages and thereby created new markets for its Kit Kats et al.

The above aside, this is a rewarding and eye opening read. He interviewed leading industry chemists and scientists to learn more about several types of chemicals and what their purpose was. Often, it was about shelf stability, economics of production, consistency/texture, or hyperpalatability: often at the expense of a healthy product. I would have loved to have a chart breaking down the most common additives/chemicals (yes, there are tens of thousands). But he does discuss general groups, how the food companies get around the FDA and other regulatory agencies, and how the drive to make money has created these ultra processed products, especially since the 1970s.

The book ends with discussions about the environment and planet that are just as concerning as what the UPFs are doing to health. But the main focus is obesity and how these products have replaced whole food and contribute to the epidemic of poor health around the world. This is well worth the read. Reviewed from an advance reader co provided by the publisher.