"It's not food. It's an industrially produced edible substance."
Dr. Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases physician and BBC broadcaster who turned his research on nutrition science into Ultra-Processed People. After conducting a self-experiment eating an 80%-UPF diet, he lays out the evidence connecting ultra-processed food to the modern epidemic of obesity and chronic illness, and challenges the food industry's definition of what should even count as food.
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
Chris van Tulleken reveals how ultra-processed food is engineered to override your appetite. Key takeaways on UPF science, the Hall study, and…
Read Summary →Van Tulleken offers a simple test for UPF: if it's wrapped in plastic and contains at least one ingredient you wouldn't find in a standard home kitchen, it's ultra-processed.
Artificial flavoring, not just sugar or fat, may be a central driver of overconsumption — it signals nutritional density the food doesn't actually contain, confusing the body's natural satiety signals.
Van Tulleken argues reformulating ultra-processed food to be 'healthier' misses the point — these products are engineered to be purchased and eaten in the largest possible quantities, which is structurally at odds with moderation.
"It's not food. It's an industrially produced edible substance."— Ultra-Processed People
"UPF has a long, formal scientific definition, but it can be boiled down to this: if it's wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn't usually find in a standard home kitchen, it's UPF."— Ultra-Processed People
"The main reason that I don't think we can reformulate UPF to make it better for us is that it is designed to be purchased and consumed in the largest possible quantities."— Ultra-Processed People
Chris van Tulleken reveals how ultra-processed food is engineered to override your appetite. Key takeaways on UPF science, the Hall study, and a 7-day plan.
