Ultra-processed Food

Course overview

This program will examine "ultra-processed food" (UPF) as more media reports spotlight the potential harms linked with its consumption. Many of us are drawn to UPFs because they are convenient, inexpensive, heavily advertised, aggressively marketed, and particularly appealing to our taste buds. Alarmingly, UPFs now account for approximately 58% of caloric intake for U.S. adults and 67% for children. Yet it is crucial to recognize that UPFs are not "real" foods. They are a recent addition to our diet that creates a significant mismatch with our physiology. There is growing recognition and mounting frustration over the connection between UPFs and chronic disease. As a result, there are calls to tax, label, and even ban these foods. This momentum is backed by compelling research that links UPFs to a range of health issues, including weight gain and obesity, eating disorders, food addiction, poor mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety), poor gut health, cognitive impairment, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, and even higher mortality.