Ultra-Processed People

There was a lot to digest (sorry) in this extremely informative audio as told by the author himself, Chris Van Tulleken. To quote one source who the author interviewed (whose name escapes me, the drawback of audio I suppose) they used the term “manufactured edible substances” for many foods that we consume. What it means is that there are some substances we modern humans eat that are just not part of our many thousands of years of eating via evolutionary process and that some of these substances are not even digested, they go through the mouth and then out the other end. Some substances can have other effects that may not be of assistance to us or our general wellbeing.

I have no intention of writing a detailed account of this must-read book/audio. See these links to GR friends who have written fantastic reviews.
Donna https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5704371138
Numidica https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5800421404
Last but not least a big think you to J.C who recommended this book to me via her her must read review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6841399226
To quote J.C “I can't rate Chris van Tulleken's book highly enough, for its comprehensive, well-researched and simply explained approach and the incredible amount of detailed examination of ultra-processed ‘food' (“UPF”) and what it does to us.”

What I did think was about the subject of eating in general and how my wife and I eat. Actually a lot better than I realised. We are fresh fruit and veg people. We might be in that small percentage of eaters that are not prone to have highly processed food eating habits. However, I have been looking at the packaging of a fair bit of stuff in the cupboard.
Out go the processed breakfast cereals that we occasionally have, stick to the fruit that we eat most days.
Out go the weekend only lunchtime wraps.
Out go...................... you get the picture.


I have realised that as a couple we are not that fond of the likes of fried chicken, never have Pringles (and other snack foods) in the house, and in general don't have a lot of red meat because we just don't really like it. On the other hand, I was given some Kensington pride / Bowen Mangos while listening to this audio by a client. We are eating them with salads and to say that we prefer these to grease ridden chicken from a vat, burger in surgery sweet shining bun would be an understatement. On the odd occasion we have been to friends and relatives' kids' birthday parties and have had this presented as the food, we have not really enjoyed it at all.

Enough of my non review......Just listen to / read this book. It may surprise you.

Mindblowing. The number of research-based insights per page is phenomenal. Infuriating and essential.

It provides a profound insight into various factors such as biological, psychological, sociological, and marketing aspects to elucidate our recent dependence and addiction to UPF, despite our awareness of the potential health risks associated with their excessive consumption.

However, the author includes some shocking facts that lack substantial support from reputable scientific sources. Additionally, I found the author's extensive incorporation of personal anecdotes into the book somewhat off-putting. While this opinion might be polarizing, it didn't resonate with me. Furthermore, I disagree with the author's reliance on newspaper articles for references instead of directly citing the studies themselves. Especially in today's attention-driven media landscape, where newspapers often use sensational and inflammatory headlines to boost traffic, citing the actual studies would provide more credibility.

Overall, I believe that discussing this topic is crucial in today's society. However, we need more nuanced, scientifically-backed, and non-inflammatory perspectives that promote critical thinking and genuine knowledge, rather than resorting to fear-mongering and anti-science rhetoric.

I would rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.