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Ultra-Processed People

Ultra-Processed People

Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop?

Summary

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
FORTNUM & MASON'S DEBUT FOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
AN ECONOMIST, DAILY MAIL, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING and AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONE'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
Chosen by the SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, FT and DAILY MAIL as one of their BEST SUMMER BOOKS OF 2023


'Clearly a brilliant book' James O'Brien

'If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one' Bee Wilson

'A devastating, witty and scholarly destruction of the shit food we eat and why' Adam Rutherford

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An eye-opening investigation into the science, economics, history and production of ultra-processed food.


It's not you, it's the food.

We have entered a new 'age of eating' where most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances called Ultra-Processed Food, food which is industrially processed and designed and marketed to be addictive. But do we really know what it's doing to our bodies?

Join Chris in his travels through the world of food science and a UPF diet to discover what's really going on. Find out why exercise and willpower can't save us, and what UPF is really doing to our bodies, our health, our weight, and the planet (hint: nothing good).

For too long we've been told we just need to make different choices, when really we're living in a food environment that makes it nigh-on impossible. So this is a book about our rights. The right to know what we eat and what it does to our bodies and the right to good, affordable food.

The Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, August 2023

Reviews

  • A brilliant book . . . a real eye-opener. The bottom line is that if we keep consuming sugar, salt and fat on the scale that we currently do, it is going to cost all of us an unconscionable fortune in the future.
    James O'Brien

About the author

Chris van Tulleken

Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London. He trained at Oxford and has a PhD in molecular virology from University College London where he is an Associate Professor. His research focuses on how corporations affect human health especially in the context of child nutrition and he works with UNICEF and The World Health Organisation on this area. As one of the BBC's leading broadcasters for children and adults his work has won two BAFTAs. He lives in London with his wife and two children.
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