How ultra-processed foods are making us sick

The end of World War II ushered in many changes for America, including the baby boom, a growing middle class, and higher demand for fast and convenient foods.

In the 1950s, the introduction of frozen foods like TV dinners and the rise of fast food restaurants, starting with McDonald’s, laid the groundwork for the wide acceptance and consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

By the late 1990s, public health officials were alarmed by rapidly rising numbers of diabetes, obesity, and diet-related illnesses related to UPF consumption. That alarm has done little to discourage the public from consuming UPFs or corporations from adding a slew of chemicals and additives to their products that harm consumers.

Professor Barry Smith worked as a "sensory scientist" for companies like Kellogg’s and Coca-Cola to boost the hyper-palatability (yumminess) of their food and drinks. Through a crisis of conscience, he realized that his work was contributing to the rise of at least 32 medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression, in the US and around the globe.

In this interview with The Guardian, Professor Smith reveals how UPFs are engineered to create repeat customers by stimulating the brain’s pleasure centers and forming addictive cravings. In addition to reducing health risks, he discusses other benefits when UPFs are phased out of one’s diet.