Ultra-processed Food and UK adolescents
A study published in July by researchers from Universities of Cambridge and Bristol found that Ultra Processed Food (UPF) makes up two-thirds of Total Calorie Intake in UK adolescents. The study found that the intake of UPF’s was higher amongst adolescents from deprived backgrounds, white ethnicity, and living in the North of England. There was, not surprisingly, a link with obesity.1
There’s has been much in the media about Ultra Processed Foods recently and there are many great books and resources on the subject. A great book that I’m reading now is Metabolical by Dr. Robert Lustig2. This book goes into great detail about how these foods cause illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, dementia – illnesses which have a devastating effect on populations and are set to bankrupt health services in the Western world.
As an Endocrinologist and Paediatrician, Dr Lustig witnessed for himself the devastating effect that Ultra Foods were having on America’s young people, and has made it his mission to educate and campaign for changes in attitude and policy to push prevention of these diseases through diet. Yet Food Industry (Big Food), Pharmaceutical Industry (Big Pharma) and even Government (Big Government) have little interest in prevention these diseases as the profits from treating them are just too high.
A great quote from his website3:
“Two Inconvenient truths:
- There is no medicalized prevention for chronic metabolic disease. There’s just long-term treatment.
- You can’t fix healthcare until you fix health. You can’t fix health until you fix diet. And you can’t fix diet until you know what the hell is wrong.”
Dr Robert Lustig, MD MSL
I really encourage you to read this book (and any other by Robert Lustig) or check out his website:
Other great resources:
Zoe Science & Nutrition Podcasts (Prof Tim Spector) https://joinzoe.com/learn/category/podcasts
Dr. Chris Van Tulleken- Ultra Processed People: Link to book on Amazon
Henry Dimbleby (founder of Leon)- Ravenous: Link to book on Amazon
1– https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-024-03458-z
2– Dr Robert Lustig, Metabolical, The Truth about Processed Food and How it Poisons People and the Planet, 2021 Harper Wave, ISBN 978 1 529 35007 4