Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food Paperback – January 7, 2025

It’s a great read to show you how much of our diet has been influenced by marketing and big corporations. It also opens your eyes to how bad some of these products have become and are marketed to us since we are young children. This has helped me to eat mostly healthy and whole foods, but you can’t ever get completely away from UPF’s. We can only do our best to control it.

This is a must read for every human. It’s no wonder our world is becoming more obese each year. I will be making cha fed to my grocery list!

Haven’t read it all the way through yet. It is a lot of info and the kind of reading you have to read, think, and process before you move on. A lot of information. It will take me awhile to finish. I’m learning much as I go

Fantastic detail and clarity about how bad our food system really is. We need to rise up against the food industry.

I had never heard of Dr. Van Tulleken before this book; however, he is clearly well known in the UK. Some Brits saw me reading this on the subway and started telling me about how much they enjoyed his television work, and asking me what I thought about the book. I would be interested in seeing what he is like on TV because, frankly, I think he nearly undermines his points with mediocre writing. On the other hand, what he has to say about ultra-processed food is so compelling that I couldn’t put the book down.On one level, what he has to say about food isn’t all that surprising. He discusses various levels of food processing, and he isn’t saying all processing is bad. Roasting meat over a fire is processing. Refining grain into flour and baking bread is processing. What he points out is that ultra-processing—breaking food into chemical components and building it back into more recognizable forms—is likely very bad for us. He takes us through a lot of interesting history and science. Ultra-processing has its roots in the 19th century with things like the creation of margarine but reached an apex in the 1970’s until many people in the West today eat almost 80% of their calories as ultra-processes food.The appeal of ultra-processed food is easy to see. It’s much cheaper to produce and keeps much longer, which is an advantage to both sellers and consumers. What Dr. Van Tulleken tries to make clear, however, is that the processing itself is creating health problems in those who eat it as their primary diet. Growing evidence shows that it is not just the number of calories in food that matters, but how our bodies are able to digest those calories; that just getting the right collection of vitamins and minerals is enough. Our bodies have evolved to extract those calories and vitamins in a certain way, and ultra-processing interferes with that. It’s not necessarily that we’re eating too many calories, it’s that those calories are coming in a way that our body cannot deal with effectively.He does point out, too, that ultra-processed food is designed to make us eat more, faster. It has an almost addictive appeal because of the way our body is not designed to digest it. And that goes beyond the simple presentation appeals of food like ice cream that doesn’t melt quickly (if at all) and food that can stay on the shelf for weeks (or longer) without spoiling.If this book has a weakness, it is in Dr. Van Tulleken’s writing. Though I liked some of his anecdotes, particularly with his daughter, I was turned off by his stories about his twin brother and I heartily dislike the “super-size me” approach of trying different diets on myself and seeing what happens. (Yes, his approach was more scientific, but it doesn’t change the optics.) He also has that “the evidence seems to show…but…” approach to presenting information which is very wishy-washy prose. I know he’s trying to be balanced in his presentation, but he can do that while still being firmer.In the end, though, I find this book to be endlessly fascinating. It’s one of the rare books that has made me seriously examine what I’m putting into my body. As a child of the seventies, I grew up eating these foods, and I still love them—the breakfast cereals, soft drinks, and the like. I don’t know if I’m up to long-term change, but I am actually trying to do better. If I can make myself a little healthier, I’ll thank Dr. Van Tulleken for that.

This is the best book that I have read about healthy eating and the implications of ultra processed foods, and I’ve read many books and articles on this topic. The author is clear and compelling thanks to a rigorous commitment to the scientific evidence. It is not the easiest read, but the payoff is large. You will live a longer, healthier, and higher quality life if you can manage to reduce or eliminate ultra processed foods from your diet. This book will save lives.

Book arrived promptly. I gave this to my husband because all he eats is highly processed food and he doesn't seem to realize there are equally tasty, indeed mostly better tasting natural equivalents easily available. He also only takes "expert" advice (not just mine)... so I thought this might work! I'll let you know.

The book is a game changer for me. The information presented is excellent. But it was difficult to read. To technical. I found myself skipping pages.