Ultra Processed People

[fataroundthemiddle]

Those of you who have read the book , what conclusion have you come to? Personally what will you do about it? For me it’s a real eye opener

Haven't read but would love to know more about it if you OP or anyone wants to share their biggest learnings

Me too. Considering making it my next audio book.

I think I could read it now that I’ve really reduced upfs. A couple of years ago I wanted to but knew it would just make me feel stressed but unable to change! Gradually I’ve made some switches and generally think about what’s in my food more. I bet it contains some horrifying details though. It’s a racket to addict us isn’t it?! I’d recommend Yuka app for anyone interested in sifting out some of the junk. It is definitely an eye opener too.

The main thing I remember is the additives for mouth feel or to give consistency nothing to do with flavour or nutrition. Since reading it I can notice it in prepackaged foods. It doesn't stop me eating those things all the time but the awareness makes me choose whole foods more often.

Read it, massively reduced my upf intake. I've lost weight 😁

I listened to it on audibles about a year ago. Very good and motivating to eat more 'real' food.

Out of interest, what are some examples of the "addictive" foods?

The thing I remember was that because upfs are so easy to digest, your gut doesn't have to do any hard work and so the satiety hormones aren't released and you don't get the message that you're full. Plus the emulsifiers make the food so tasty, so you just keep eating.

Also a fascinating thing about the difference between eating a whole apple v drinking the juice of an apple on your blood sugar.

I always want to know this too

No one ever answers though

I wouldn't want to read the book as I'm pretty confident I know what counts a UPF and what doesn't - but the way it gets talked about, I sometimes wonder.

Argh just lost my long answer. In short the addictive ones are where there are refined carbs and fats together so they're very pleasing and easy to eat, but this isn't a combination you find in nature. So it's processed mass produced bread, pizza, ready meals, confectionery, ice cream etc

It's not just baked beans and sliced bread are full of sugar...we know all that. It explains how the companies (Big Names especially), are manipulating food to make it addictive to make big profits for the companies themselves. And how it affects our heath and how they target the poorer areas . I'm not very good at explaining to others, but I would recommend this book.Library or charity shop... Vinted have it too for £1

Thanks @ChaiLatteCarrie I eat a lot from scratch but like most people I like shop-bought bread. But I dislike ready meals - they often have a taste I can't pinpoint, probably what makes them longer-life - same with most soups. Shop-bought cakes can be nice but I'd be more inclined to be "addicted " to homemade ones! That's why I was interested.

I also think most shop-bought pizzas are disappointing taste-wise except for a few brands.

So while I definitely don't eat healthily or avoid UPFs, I don't generally prefer them to home-made. I do wonder if this is down to what you're used to, to some extent?

This is why I don't quite get the "it's addictive because it's processed" when, if I'm eating sugar and fat, I see it as inferior (taste-wise) to unprocessed.

Obviously there is the convenience factor, and I've got desserts in my fridge from Sainsburys that I'd never bother making myself!

I don't think I'm in anyway unusual or special either - my DH was brought up with decent home-cooked food and has never enjoyed supermarket ready meals.

My mind instantly thinks 'Pringles'.

I watched a TV program about UPS and one of the addictive products was biscuits. Something about them not being totally satisfying and so you end up eating half a packet.

I started a diet on the 5th January, and so I haven't really been eating many UPS. I'm even wary when it comes to breakfast cereals now. But I can't stop my craving of bread. Any bread .... all bread. I just love bread.

My takeaways from the book are:

The links to autoimmune disease and depression. More research needs doing but there appears to be a causal link when the meta studies are done.

The marketing techniques and how closely they are related to early tobacco marketing.

Bread is the best thing. A fluffy white baguette with crisp crust....

I also think of Pringles as addictive, even though they're not that nice! So was wondering what else might be an example!

Biscuits... I find them dull and unsatisfying so rarely buy them. I'd rather have cake or bread. Except chocolate hobnobs, which are top-tier.... but I'm quite good at only having one (or two).

The thing I took away from it the most. Was the fact that the companies know it is bad for u. They know and they make it more addictive and more palatable. That made me really cross. All being made fools off for there large pockets. So we can be worse off in health and over weight. Bet they don’t eat tha rubbish.

So no one is suggesting that fresh food is being manipulated in weird ways? Like through pesticides on vegetables or anything like that. I realise that hormones in meat are going to be an issue but I try to use the local butcher now.

There is so much talk about this book, but it sounds like it's the sort of thing that was widely discussed 20 years ago?

I haven’t bought bread from a supermarket since reading it. Make all my own bread now. The few ready made sandwiches I’ve bought since have been a miserable experience.

I thought it was an excellent book and even though I was pretty much a cook-from-scratch person beforehand I’m a die-hard UPF avoider now. Apart from salt and vinegar crisps. Sometimes there’s a UPF scratch that just needs itching and crisps is it.

A lot of the research didn’t exist 20 yrs ago so I doubt it. It’s focused on hyper-processed food and how they may impact health and wellbeing. It’s a very sobering read. I threw a bar of chocolate in the bin after reading it - that’s never happened before!

Read it. Completely changed our household shopping. Am about 90% calorie UPF free. Main downfall bread.
Been easy to do.
Lost a stone without meaning to. Didn't tell the kids we were doing it, just did it. They havent complained or noticed really.

Im the same as you, I prefer home made food. But I think that's the whole point, if you live somewhere or were brought up in an environment where UPFs make up the majority of your diet, you get used to the taste,texture etc and it's so easy to consume you can very easily overeat. One of the good examples in the book is Coco pops cereal. You can't have a single serving and feel full, so you might have a double portion, or another bowl, or reach for something else to eat afterwards.

Once you limit the amount of UPFs, you start to notice what you describe - a weird taste you can't describe, or the texture is wrong. After I read the book I could really tell that UPF ice-cream doesn't melt the same way, had a slimy texture, whereas real diary ice-cream is delicious!

I'd recommend getting a breadmaker if you can. Once you're in the swing of it, it doesn't take long.

We got given an old bread maker about 8 years ago when a friend was doing a house clearance. Never thought I'd use it, but honestly its been amazing. It broke down last summer and we went straight out to replace it.

Shop bought bread tastes weird now. Incredibly sweet and soggy.