I'm posting this video/podcast from Adam Ragusea because every time there has been posts discussing ultra-processed foods there tends to be a lot of confusion about what UPFs are and exactly what...
I'm posting this video/podcast from Adam Ragusea because every time there has been posts discussing ultra-processed foods there tends to be a lot of confusion about what UPFs are and exactly what it means in regards to our understanding of nutrition.
I find this quote particularly resonant:
We really like our food and we really don't want to eat much differently. Therefore we want to believe that if we can just cut out a few toxic ingredients, well then we can just go on eating snack cake garbage while watching YouTube videos in parking lots. I want to believe that's true! Unfortunately, it probably just isn't true.
I really appreciate how he talked about how our personal biases prevent us from seeing the truth, which is one of the reasons why I think this is probably one of the best overviews on this topic; his sympathetic presentation is great for getting you to examine your thoughts on things.
He then goes onto how we need to do more research and how the current US administration is doing damage to the scientific community at large. This is one of the few issues that he has actually called people to action on (beyond his sponsors, of course). He also recommends reading this article from Nature on the subject.
This topic always confuses me because it's such a non topic in the world that everytime I hear about processed food negativity it's mostly americans discussing it.
This topic always confuses me because it's such a non topic in the world that everytime I hear about processed food negativity it's mostly americans discussing it.
I am not sure that is entirely true. It might not get as much attention in other parts of the world but that doesn't mean that there isn't similar impact there. I am going to assume that by...
I am not sure that is entirely true. It might not get as much attention in other parts of the world but that doesn't mean that there isn't similar impact there. I am going to assume that by "Americans" you were referring to people from the US. But the whole Nova classification system has its roots in Brazil. It is developed by Carlos Monteiro, a nutritional epidemiologist in the 1990s when looking into the rise of obesity in children in that country.
It seems like if it got traction with consumers it would show up in advertising? Lots of foods are advertised as"organic" or "natural" or "gluten-free" or other such terms. I don't even know what...
It seems like if it got traction with consumers it would show up in advertising? Lots of foods are advertised as"organic" or "natural" or "gluten-free" or other such terms. I don't even know what words would be used here.
None of those terms imply anything about where a food sits on the Nova scale. You can have organic UPF junk, nothing contradictory with that. In fact, that's kind of Adam's point: the garbage-ness...
None of those terms imply anything about where a food sits on the Nova scale. You can have organic UPF junk, nothing contradictory with that. In fact, that's kind of Adam's point: the garbage-ness is less about ingredients and more about cultural aspects of how we eat things.
I get that, see my other comment in this thread. At the same time skybrian asked about marketing and does have "processed" a more fluid meaning in the public mind. Terms like "natural" are very...
I get that, see my other comment in this thread. At the same time skybrian asked about marketing and does have "processed" a more fluid meaning in the public mind. Terms like "natural" are very much used by companies to imply less processing. That's what I was referring to.
"Natural" is the most meaningless marketing term out there. Especially when it's used in the phrase "made from natural ingredients". What isn't made from natural ingredients? Is someone selling...
"Natural" is the most meaningless marketing term out there. Especially when it's used in the phrase "made from natural ingredients". What isn't made from natural ingredients? Is someone selling food made from the blood of the mad gods? The word "natural" itself doesn't actually have any recognized meaning in the context of food in the US, and the only thing I have seen about the FDA regulating the term is a nearly decade-old RFC they published asking if they should do something about it.
Exactly, there is no shortage of effectively meaningless marketing in the food industry. A lot of them used to cater to specific people with specific feelings about food.
Exactly, there is no shortage of effectively meaningless marketing in the food industry. A lot of them used to cater to specific people with specific feelings about food.
I find mega ultra processed food in the US tastes different from anything I've eaten elsewhere. I once heard someone joke that American candy tastes vaguely of Barbie makeup, and I knew exactly...
I find mega ultra processed food in the US tastes different from anything I've eaten elsewhere. I once heard someone joke that American candy tastes vaguely of Barbie makeup, and I knew exactly what they meant. I'm no health nut and will eat absolute garbage food from time to time, but there's something that tastes vaguely unnatural in that kind of food. I think the only other places I've seen anything close was in South/East/Southeast Asia. Like the ramune sodas.
I honestly will watch the video in a bit and leave my thoughts on that. The title did remind me of a previous discussion on tildes and basically the answer to the question in the title is a simple...
I honestly will watch the video in a bit and leave my thoughts on that. The title did remind me of a previous discussion on tildes and basically the answer to the question in the title is a simple "no". Because ultra processed foods generally involve ingredients not found in your typical household kitchen.
It is actually a very complex subject. It is also one of those terminologies that, in common day usage, has morphed into this abstract thing for which everyone has their own definition.
Anyway, I'll see what Adam has to say about the subject. Generally I like his approach to this sort of thing although not always.
Edit:
Having watched the video I do think Adam does a good job touching on a lot of the areas and gives a good overview. Worth the watch imho.
I'm posting this video/podcast from Adam Ragusea because every time there has been posts discussing ultra-processed foods there tends to be a lot of confusion about what UPFs are and exactly what it means in regards to our understanding of nutrition.
I find this quote particularly resonant:
I really appreciate how he talked about how our personal biases prevent us from seeing the truth, which is one of the reasons why I think this is probably one of the best overviews on this topic; his sympathetic presentation is great for getting you to examine your thoughts on things.
He then goes onto how we need to do more research and how the current US administration is doing damage to the scientific community at large. This is one of the few issues that he has actually called people to action on (beyond his sponsors, of course). He also recommends reading this article from Nature on the subject.
Here’s a mirror link of that Nature article — it cuts off for me about halfway.
This topic always confuses me because it's such a non topic in the world that everytime I hear about processed food negativity it's mostly americans discussing it.
I am not sure that is entirely true. It might not get as much attention in other parts of the world but that doesn't mean that there isn't similar impact there. I am going to assume that by "Americans" you were referring to people from the US. But the whole Nova classification system has its roots in Brazil. It is developed by Carlos Monteiro, a nutritional epidemiologist in the 1990s when looking into the rise of obesity in children in that country.
It seems like if it got traction with consumers it would show up in advertising? Lots of foods are advertised as"organic" or "natural" or "gluten-free" or other such terms. I don't even know what words would be used here.
You already used them ;)
None of those terms imply anything about where a food sits on the Nova scale. You can have organic UPF junk, nothing contradictory with that. In fact, that's kind of Adam's point: the garbage-ness is less about ingredients and more about cultural aspects of how we eat things.
I get that, see my other comment in this thread. At the same time skybrian asked about marketing and does have "processed" a more fluid meaning in the public mind. Terms like "natural" are very much used by companies to imply less processing. That's what I was referring to.
"Natural" is the most meaningless marketing term out there. Especially when it's used in the phrase "made from natural ingredients". What isn't made from natural ingredients? Is someone selling food made from the blood of the mad gods? The word "natural" itself doesn't actually have any recognized meaning in the context of food in the US, and the only thing I have seen about the FDA regulating the term is a nearly decade-old RFC they published asking if they should do something about it.
RFK should really get on that. 😈
Exactly, there is no shortage of effectively meaningless marketing in the food industry. A lot of them used to cater to specific people with specific feelings about food.
I find mega ultra processed food in the US tastes different from anything I've eaten elsewhere. I once heard someone joke that American candy tastes vaguely of Barbie makeup, and I knew exactly what they meant. I'm no health nut and will eat absolute garbage food from time to time, but there's something that tastes vaguely unnatural in that kind of food. I think the only other places I've seen anything close was in South/East/Southeast Asia. Like the ramune sodas.
I honestly will watch the video in a bit and leave my thoughts on that. The title did remind me of a previous discussion on tildes and basically the answer to the question in the title is a simple "no". Because ultra processed foods generally involve ingredients not found in your typical household kitchen.
It is actually a very complex subject. It is also one of those terminologies that, in common day usage, has morphed into this abstract thing for which everyone has their own definition.
Anyway, I'll see what Adam has to say about the subject. Generally I like his approach to this sort of thing although not always.
Edit:
Having watched the video I do think Adam does a good job touching on a lot of the areas and gives a good overview. Worth the watch imho.
Betteridge strikes again.