Irresistible: why we can't stop eating

[TinyMouseTheatre]

Anyone watching this on BBC2?

Yes, I found the comparisons with tobacco companies sinister.

I agree, the comparison was absolutely frightening.

As we're done points during the show like the Prof who wrote the paper coining the phrase "Ultra Processed Foods" noticing that sales of cooking oil, flour and salt had gone down but obesity rates had gone up in Colombia.

The government seems so slow on the UPF issue. I don't think that the manufacturers are going to regulate themselves. I think they need a blanket ban on advertising UPF. Education for DC on what they do to their bodies and bringing back cooking lessons in school along with non-UPF school meals.

This should be mandatory viewing. I can't believe there's only one reply, come on people, wake the f* up as Eddie Abbew would say (not that I agree with his diet, but his attitude to UPF is spot on).
The people who really need to watch this, wont watch it (it's on iPlayer as well now for those who missed it).

I've started listening to the audio book of 'ultra processed people'. Already it's eye opening and shocking!

The thing that stood out for me, and I hadn't even thought about it before, was the "soft foods" thing. How a lot of high calorie, low nutrient food hardly takes any chewing or melts in your mouth. Ice cream, cake, smoothies, chocolate, even take away burgers and chicken hardly need much chewing before swallowing. I try to eat healthy most of the time, but do have treats.

It is insidious, the advertising of upf with health claims for one. It tricks people into thinking they are doing the right thing when it is making health worse. Following the programme we as a family are looking at reducing/removing upf from out diet. But it is in so much if you are looking at ingredients you don't find in your kitchen.

I think what also stood out was that it is not the individuals fault if they consume alot of upf as the companies have pushed it so aggressively. I think it needs legislating against as companies can't be trusted to do things in the populations best interest at the detriment of profits.

It's a frightening but essential watch. Agree with the tobacco industry link, cynical and sinister. What struck me was all the plastic that is being used - over several decades. No wonder micro plastics are in every person on this planet.

The supermarket highlighted in Mexico(?) was just horrifying.

Oh missed that it was Columbia.

If anyone has a Spotify subscription the Ultraprocessed People Audiobook is available to you for free: https://open.spotify.com/show/0r5DmkkvIomtm3x5f0sxkn?si=238c8ed3cc694e86
I found it very interesting, it covers similar ground as the programme - minus the tobacco company angle, that may have been a more recent development.

In this context I also read an interesting article in the Guardian, I think, the (British) author trying to exclude all UPF from their diet for the whole family. But I can't find it now. The author ended up doing a lot of baking/cooking, buying massive amounts of butter etc to make all bread, cakes, biscuits, snacks, crackers etc. This article below is not it, but similar, from a US reporter.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/22/eliminating-ultra-processed-foods-pros-cons

Getting rid of UPF gets rid of convenience. I do bake all our bread (since 1999) but I could not keep up with the rest.

I listened to Ultra Processed People recently and highly recommend it - it goes into a lot more detail on the industry and the damage it does

I put it on expecting some lightweight, vaguely patronising viewing but I was actually really shocked & it made DH & I want to make changes.

I fell asleep watching this last night so watched the second half on iplayer today.

The cost comparison between a homemade lemon drizzle cake and a shop bought one was also staggering.

I’ve made a real effort to cook from scratch over the last few years but this has made me double down on my efforts. I also realise that the sandwich (made with sliced wholemeal Hovis) and a packet of crisps that we all have as a standard weekend lunch is made up of more UPF than anything else.

. Totally agree. People definitely needs to wake the fuck it as Eddy would say!

I don't agree completely with what he says about what we should eat but he's spot on on the UPF isn't he?

If not mandatory at least highly recommended.

Im watching this now. I read the book a while ago and this is really reminding me.

I have so struggled to change how I eat though - have any on this thread changed how they eat? Any hints?

I don't know how many changes I've made.

I do bake my own cakes more and think twice about reaching for a convenient, prepackaged snack and take more fruit to work.

I still eat crisps moats days though

I think you might be ok if you eat crisps in the way you did back in the early part of the seventies. Small bag, probably infrequently. When I was growing up, DMum only bought them at Christmas and on (self catering) holidays.

It’s the change from occasional treat (that you knew was a treat, like crisps sweets and ice cream) v UPF ad most of your diet.

Convenience foods used to be rather frowned on. Now processed foods are staples and UPF ubiquitous.

I'm trying to make small, sustainable changes rather than sweeping ones. Our biggest challenge is bread, we are getting a bread maker to help with that. I've swapped popcorn for crisps in lacked lunches, that's worked really well. And homemade cakes or flapjacks instead of store-bought UPF treats. But bread for sandwiches is a biggie.

I, too, have noticed the softness of UPF since reading the book and bread is so soft! It falls apart when spreading butter, let alone chewing. My adult dc has noticed he's sleeping better and eating smaller portions since he's stopped buying ready meals and started cooking from scratch. It's fascinating and scary to see the impact of upf on our health.

I can't work out what bread to get.

I've just spotted that Chris VT is doing the RI Christmas lectures, which will be on BBC4 on 29-31 December (and on iPlayer) about the gut health, from tastebuds to toilet, and how food has shaped human evolution.

Pitta bread, bakery sour dough and french bread are generally fine, just read the label. B vitamins are fine and included in bread flour to stop beriberi.

Some people make their own but most do not have the time nor inclination.

Aldi does a half loaf of sourdough that's not too bad on the ingredients list, but most supermarket bread is upf. You're better off going to a local bakery or learning to make your own, and just eat less bread in general. Otherwise don't worry about it and focus on reducing upf in your diet elsewhere.

Brilliant! I'll make sure I watch those

I have ht watched this yet but have listened to UP people on audible

I've always been someone who tries not to have too many chemicals in food and never had diet drinks etc, but I still found a lot of ways to cut more out.

I'm glad the message is getting out

I watched it, was planning to idly have it on while I pottered about tidying. In the end I was engrossed in near horror as more people spoke out against the food companies.
I'm very lucky as I'm one of those annoying people who easts healthily but I need to show it to my teen dc's who eat crap. Although one is due to allergies and the other is SEN so we only have so much wriggle room.