UPFs should also be heavily taxed due to impact on health and mortality, says scientist who coined term
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are displacing healthy diets “all over the world” despite growing evidence of the risks they pose and should be sold with tobacco-style warnings, according to the nutritional scientist who first coined the term.
Prof Carlos Monteiro of the University of São Paulo will highlight the increasing danger UPFs present to children and adults at the International Congress on Obesity this week.
“UPFs are increasing their share in and domination of global diets, despite the risk they represent to health in terms of increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases,” Monteiro told the Guardian ahead of the conference in São Paulo.
so, dumb question :
what’s the risk of these foods for people who are not obese?
It’s a waste of time, the “NOVA” system is subjective and it makes testing it a dead end. Your question will not be answered.
It also doesn’t teach nutrition to the people; the core application of it is demonizing food that isn’t cooked at home, as if something made in a small home kitchen is magically healthful.
If you want to get a better grasp, here’s a nice and short read: (shorter than a book) Series 5: Is the Ultra-processed Food (UPF) concept useful, and for what goals? | TABLE Debates
From my understanding: we extract many micronutrients from food by having bacteria in our digestive tract pre-process the food.
When you eat primarily eat junk food for a long time, the bacteria die of starvation. Once this happens it’s hard to get them back and you are crippled by not being able to fully digest healthy food to its full potential.
TL;DR humans need to consume more than just calories and protein
Cancer is a big risk
Had a friend of mine die on Thanksgiving last year in his early 30s from it. He was never obese in his life.
More pointing out that there is a correlation with our modern diet and the rise of colon and rectal cancers in young people. UPFs are most likely not the sole issue but a contributor along with other things that are now in our food that weren’t in the past.
My friend was just one of those that developed such a cancer and died from it young.
