Ultra-Processed Food is Global Health Threat, Researchers Warn (bbc.com)
- Reference: 0180143631
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/11/19/1813215/ultra-processed-food-is-global-health-threat-researchers-warn
- Source link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4pjjzd784o
> They say the way we eat is changing - with a move away from fresh, whole foods to cheap, highly-processed meals - which is increasing our risk of a range of chronic diseases, including obesity and depression. Writing in The Lancet, the researchers say governments need [2]"to step up" and introduce warnings and higher taxes on UPF products, to help fund access to more nutritious foods.
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> [...] This review of evidence on the impact of UPFs on health, carried out by 43 global experts and based on 104 long-term studies, suggests these foods are linked to a greater risk of 12 health conditions. These include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, depression and dying prematurely from any cause.
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4pjjzd784o
[2] https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/ultra-processed-food
Trillions (Score:5, Insightful)
There are trillions of dollars being made on ultra-processed foods... so good luck.
Thing #2,594,874,993,822,093 to worry about... (Score:5, Insightful)
I'll get right on it.
Surprise!! (Score:4, Insightful)
> the researchers say governments need "to step up" and introduce warnings and higher taxes on UPF products, to help fund access to more nutritious foods.
Oh look! They recommend higher prices and more taxes to "solve" this "problem". Who ever would have guessed?
Re: (Score:2)
...which is mostly consumed by poor people.
Why do you hate poor people?
Re: (Score:1)
Why should poor people eat the crap that is ultra-processed food?
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> Why should poor people eat the crap that is ultra-processed food?
Umm... because it's all they can afford? Because it's all they have access to in the 'food deserts' which they live in and don't have the means to venture out of? Because they're addicted to it? Because they don't know better? Because advertising - aka brainwashing - actually works?
Take your pick - any or all of the above, plus probably more that I didn't think of.
Keep it simple (Score:2)
Beef, chicken, eggs. Fruits, veggies, pasta.
It's relatively easy and tasty to eat healthy, and it's often cheaper too, even if you get the fancier cuts. Certainly when compared to the processed crap.
Too Simplistic (Score:2, Interesting)
Is anyone else suspicious that this generic label of "Ultra-Processed Food" is being applied broadly without really bothering to address actual causes? For example, is it high sodium, high saturated fats, or just high caloric content in general that's the issue? All of the above and in combination, I'm sure, but this seems like a condescending and misleadingly simplistic way of communicating that. Further, it reeks of the naturalistic fallacy... It's not the fact that it's "ultra-processed" that makes it un
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
been trying to find out ever since some of the more vocal nutrition people like Jessica Knurick have started warning about UPF.
i do need to pay more attention to what & how much I eat but i'm not going back all the way to my grandma's food preparation, simply don't have that kind of time
Re:Too Simplistic (Score:5, Informative)
There is an honest-to-goodness definition. Johns Hopkins has a good article about what UPFs are: [1]https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2... [jhu.edu]
The takeaway is - " Ultra-processed foods have one or more ingredient that wouldn’t be found in a kitchen , like chemical-based preservatives, emulsifiers like hydrogenated oils, sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors and flavors. UPFs undergo processing techniques like pre-frying, molding, extrusion, fractioning, and other chemical alterations that leave the final products bearing almost no resemblance to the original ingredients."
(emphasis is mine)
[1] https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-are-ultra-processed-foods
Re: (Score:3)
The article states that they don't know the cause. They found a correlation between ultraprocessed foods and poor health, but they don't know what exactly in those foods causes the negative effects. They also cite scientists who criticize the definition, as some foods considered to be healthy are in the ultraprocessed category. So the article addresses both of your concerns.
Don't forget (Score:1)
[1]ultra-processed water [explainxkcd.com].
[1] https://explainxkcd.com/2982/
What is the number of processes... (Score:2)
... a food is subjected to before it's deemed ultraprocessed? Is it still healthy if it's processed with love?
Re: (Score:1)
One very loose definition is that if it's something most people can make at home, it's probably not ultra-processed. If they can't, it probably is.
Not the hard-and-fast definition that most Slashdot readers are looking for, I'm afraid.
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> One very loose definition is that if it's something most people can make at home, it's probably not ultra-processed. If they can't, it probably is.
Most people cannot make any of the following at home:
Meat (beef, chicken, pork, etc)
Butter
Milk
Cheese
Vegetables
Fruits
Flour
Spices
Tea
Coffee
Sugar
Etc. etc. etc.
Some of that stuff people could make, if they didn't live in a city and had the know-how. But they don't and they don't.
The problem with these types (the researches) and they want to pretend like we don't live in a modern society. Where food is typically produced may miles away from where it is consumed, and that conditions require food be processed in ce
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Most of your list could be "produced at home" by most people. Tea and Coffee are the largest problem on the list, but the only reason is geographic and not "processing" related. I'm pretty sure you know that, though, and are being purposefully obtuse for some reason.
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No they can't. Most people have no land to product those things, and even if they did, they don't know how.
I mean, take cheese. I have no fucking idea how to make cheese. I bet 99% of the US population doesn't either.
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Sorry, I took a shortcut with the definition.
The longer version is something most people can make at home with things most people already have in their kitchen .
This assumes sugar, butter, milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, dried pasta, spices, cut or ground meat, etc. aren't processed enough to "count" as ultra-processed foods.
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That's a very different definition, to be sure. Thanks for clarifying your intent.
chronic diseases, including obesity and depression (Score:2)
So, you mean sugar. No, Ultra Processed Sugar!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whey Protein is ultra processed (Score:1)
And tremendous for you
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A raw carrot
Pringles
Soy sauce
Are all foods for sale tested before they can go on sale? I don't think so but how about this is introduced? Manufacturers of things intended to be ingested (let's not go so far as to say 'food') could pay a nominal fee which is a function of the number and quality of ingredients.
Then, on some random schedule, a random selection of foods is collected from random sales locations and a random proportion of those tested by a party other than the one collecting the items - to ensure
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2/3 - not bad. Soy sauce is super-processed by bacteria over a year, I believe.
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No sausage for you!