Ultra-processed foods are often singled out for causing weight gain and chronic illnesses. Are they really that bad for us? The Healthy Skeptic investigates.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
They’re a big part of most people’s diets: so-called ultra-processed foods … things like chips, frozen pizza, hot dogs, soda, and sugary cereal. In fact, it’s estimated they make up nearly 60 percent of adults’ calories. These foods are often singled out for packing on pounds and making us sick. Are they really that bad for us? The ins and outs of ultra-processed foods… on this episode of the healthy skeptic.
Foods are considered ultra-processed if they have lots of added ingredients such as sugar, salt, fat, colors, flavors, and preservatives.
That’s in contrast to unprocessed foods like vegetables, fruits, eggs, and raw chicken, which are more or less in their natural state.
Other foods like canned fish or pasta sauce, which undergo some processing, fall somewhere in between.
Studies have linked a diet high in ultra-processed foods to a host of health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer, as well as premature death.
Research also shows they contribute to weight gain by prompting people to eat more.
Experts aren’t sure why. But they theorize that the combinations of ingredients do a number on our brains and make it hard to stop eating these foods. It’s also possible that the softer texture of ultra-processed foods causes us to scarf them down faster, before we get the signal that we’re full.
Another unknown: what exactly about processing, whether the additives or something else, makes these foods so harmful.
And there’s disagreement about which foods should be classified as ultra-processed.
Still, based on what we do know, it makes sense to choose packaged foods with the shortest list of ingredients, and go for whole foods whenever possible.
That means, for example…
Grilled chicken breast over frozen chicken nuggets…
Unsalted nuts instead of potato chips…
And plain yogurt over flavored yogurt.
Ultra-processed foods are convenient and often inexpensive…and avoiding them entirely is not realistic for most of us. Instead, try cutting back gradually… so they eventually become occasional treats instead of everyday staples. That could end up being ultra-beneficial for your weight and your health.
For more on weight loss, check out my book, Supersized Lies, which reveals why standard advice often fails and what actually works to keep weight off.
Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I’m Robert Davis.