Ultra-Processed People
| Author | Chris van Tulleken |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Cornerstone Press |
Publication date | 27 April 2023 |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 978-1-5299-0005-7 |
| OCLC | 1381127333 |
Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop? is a 2023 non-fiction book by Chris van Tulleken and published by Cornerstone Press in 2023.[1] A paperback edition was published in 2024 by Penguin Books, with an extra chapter. The book discusses ultra-processed food (UPF) and its effects on human health.
Van Tulleken combines anecdotes and personal stories with science through studies and van Tulleken's experience as a physician specialising in infection and immunity.[2] Topics include the origins of UPF, their economics and their impact. Van Tulleken asserts that UPF is a bigger cause of weight gain than sugar or a lack of exercise, and describes psychological and physiological effects of UPF on the human body. He draws from conversations with scientists and experts within the food industry, and calls attention to the failure to rigorously state conflicts of interest in scientific papers regarding food, nutrition and their industries.
Van Tulleken also describes his own experience of living for an extended period on a diet of 80% UPF, with before and after measurements.
Reception
[edit ]Ultra-Processed People was shortlisted for 2023 Waterstones Book of the Year.[3]
Jacob E. Gersen reviewed the book for The New York Times , writing "Do people eat more when food is cheap, or do they eat more cheap food because the processing that makes it cheap tricks us into eating more? The answer to that question is murky and confounded in van Tulleken’s account, in which food that sickens us is part and parcel of processing-for-profit."[4]
Jerold Mande reviewed the book for Harvard Public Health , stating "The reality is we simply don’t know how ultra-processed foods are linked to chronic diet-related diseases; we only know that they are and that we must invest in research to find out more."[5]
Tulleken and Christopher Snowdon have exchanged criticisms regarding the book. In the book, Tulleken criticised an article by Snowdon about a decline in survey-reported calorie consumption between 1974 and 1990. Tulleken pointed to data from "doubly labeled water" studies showing calorie consumption increasing, and concluded that people have become worse at estimating their calorie consumption.[6] Snowdon responded with data from 2016 showing a decrease in calorie consumption between 1974 and 2008 even corrected for under-reporting. In turn, Snowdon criticised Tulleken for misunderstanding a study of calorie consumption by mine-workers. Tulleken claimed that mine-workers don't consume more calories, but Snowdon pointed out that the study only measured calorie consumption at work.[7] Snowdon has criticised Tulleken for failing to identify the mechanism by which ultra-processed foods cause obesity,[8] and for a focus on conflicts of interest rather than rebuttals of evidence.[9] In the "Acknowledgements" section of his book, Tulleken thanked Snowdon for being "very generous with his time and arguments. We agree on a lot, and I am hopeful that one day he'll leave the Institute of Economic Affairs and put his considerable talents towards making the world a better place for everyone."
References
[edit ]- ^ Chandler, Mark (4 October 2021). "Cornerstone Press wins seven-way auction for van Tulleken" . The Bookseller . Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ UCL (2024年09月16日). "Doctor tries ultra-processed food diet for experiment and is horrified by what happens". UCL News. Archived from the original on 2024年09月17日. Retrieved 2024年09月17日.
- ^ Spanoudi, Melina (2 November 2023). "Smith, Yarros, van Tulleken and Rundell shortlisted for Waterstones Book Of The Year" . The Bookseller . Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ Gersen, Jacob E. (7 July 2023). "If We Are What We Eat, We Don't Know Who We Are". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 19 July 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Mande, Jerold (29 August 2023). ""Ultra-Processed People" hopes to disgust Americans into dumping poor diets". Harvard Public Health. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Archived from the original on 21 September 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Tulleken, Chapter 8
- ^ Snowdon, Christopher (8 August 2023). "Who's afraid of UPF? (Part 2)". The Critic Magazine. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ Snowdon, Christopher (6 August 2023). "Who's afraid of UPF? (Part 1)". The Critic Magazine. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ Snowdon, Christopher (20 May 2024). "The UPF panic is a fad". The Critic Magazine. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
External links
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