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.

  • elvis_depresley@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    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

    • VeganPizza69 Ⓥ@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Unfortunately, the “Processed Food Moral Panic” has been taken over by the meat and dairy industries, so people will not be learning why it’s important to eat lots of plants as whole foods.