Marion Nestle

If you've got a yogurt in front of you and it's got M&Ms added to it and it's loaded with sugar and it tastes like a dessert, you know that you're dealing with something that's ultra-processed.

If you've got a yogurt in front of you and it's got M&Ms added to it and it's loaded with sugar and it tastes like a dessert, you know that you're dealing with something that's ultra-processed.

If you've got a yogurt in front of you and it's got M&Ms added to it and it's loaded with sugar and it tastes like a dessert, you know that you're dealing with something that's ultra-processed.

The point about the ultra-processed food classification is that people were able to do research. And this research has been overwhelming in its consistency. Let me tell you, in nutrition, this is very unusual. Yeah. It's unusual to have this level of consistency where every study of ultra-processed food shows that people who eat a lot of these kinds of things have worse health outcomes. Yeah.

The point about the ultra-processed food classification is that people were able to do research. And this research has been overwhelming in its consistency. Let me tell you, in nutrition, this is very unusual. Yeah. It's unusual to have this level of consistency where every study of ultra-processed food shows that people who eat a lot of these kinds of things have worse health outcomes. Yeah.

The point about the ultra-processed food classification is that people were able to do research. And this research has been overwhelming in its consistency. Let me tell you, in nutrition, this is very unusual. Yeah. It's unusual to have this level of consistency where every study of ultra-processed food shows that people who eat a lot of these kinds of things have worse health outcomes. Yeah.

And the controlled clinical trials that show that these foods get people to eat more, not only more, but a lot more.

And the controlled clinical trials that show that these foods get people to eat more, not only more, but a lot more.

And the controlled clinical trials that show that these foods get people to eat more, not only more, but a lot more.

The observational research looks at what people self-report eating. All it can do is demonstrate association, that if you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, the chances are—and we're talking about probabilities here—you have a higher chance of gaining weight, becoming obese, and having type 2 diabetes, having heart disease later on.

The observational research looks at what people self-report eating. All it can do is demonstrate association, that if you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, the chances are—and we're talking about probabilities here—you have a higher chance of gaining weight, becoming obese, and having type 2 diabetes, having heart disease later on.

The observational research looks at what people self-report eating. All it can do is demonstrate association, that if you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, the chances are—and we're talking about probabilities here—you have a higher chance of gaining weight, becoming obese, and having type 2 diabetes, having heart disease later on.

And the problem with self-reports in nutrition is, I'm going to put this politely, people have a hard time remembering what they eat. You know, out and out, they lie. So to get around that, you need really well-controlled clinical trials.

And the problem with self-reports in nutrition is, I'm going to put this politely, people have a hard time remembering what they eat. You know, out and out, they lie. So to get around that, you need really well-controlled clinical trials.

And the problem with self-reports in nutrition is, I'm going to put this politely, people have a hard time remembering what they eat. You know, out and out, they lie. So to get around that, you need really well-controlled clinical trials.

These are breathtakingly expensive to run because they require a locked metabolic ward facility in which people volunteer to be locked up for some period of time, never more than four weeks because people can't stand it. And everything they eat, drink...

These are breathtakingly expensive to run because they require a locked metabolic ward facility in which people volunteer to be locked up for some period of time, never more than four weeks because people can't stand it. And everything they eat, drink...

These are breathtakingly expensive to run because they require a locked metabolic ward facility in which people volunteer to be locked up for some period of time, never more than four weeks because people can't stand it. And everything they eat, drink...

or ingest is monitored and everything they excrete is monitored and their behavior and their physical activity and everything else is monitored and they can't lie or cheat.

or ingest is monitored and everything they excrete is monitored and their behavior and their physical activity and everything else is monitored and they can't lie or cheat.