Key Update

A new research paper says ultra-processed foods (UPFs) share more similarities with cigarettes than with fruits or vegetables and need far stricter regulation. Researchers from Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and Duke University argue that manufacturers design both products to drive addiction and overconsumption.

How UPFs Drive Excess Consumption

UPFs include industrially produced foods such as soft drinks, biscuits, crisps, and packaged snacks that rely on additives like emulsifiers, artificial colours, and flavours. The study, published on 3 February in Milbank Quarterly, highlights how producers optimise product formulation and speed of reward delivery to trigger repeated consumption. The authors warn that claims such as “low fat” or “sugar-free” create a false perception of safety and delay regulation. They compare this practice to cigarette filters, once marketed as protective despite offering little real health benefit.

Addiction Parallels Seen in Practice

Professor Ashley Gearhardt of the University of Michigan says patients often report cravings and compulsive eating patterns similar to nicotine addiction. She notes that public debate frequently places responsibility on individuals while ignoring how industries engineer products to exploit biological vulnerabilities.

Call for Industry Accountability

Because food is essential and people cannot avoid the modern food environment, the researchers say stronger regulation is necessary. They urge policymakers to apply lessons from tobacco control, including marketing restrictions and structural reforms, and to shift accountability from consumers to the food industry.

Experts Urge Caution on Comparisons

Professor Martin Warren of the Quadram Institute cautions against directly equating UPFs with tobacco, citing uncertainty over whether UPFs are pharmacologically addictive or mainly reinforce learned preferences and convenience. He stresses that regulation should prioritise dietary quality, reformulation, and food system diversity.

Growing Global Health Concerns

Dr Githinji Gitahi of Amref Health Africa warns that rising UPF consumption, combined with weak regulation, is placing avoidable strain on health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Without stronger public interventions, he says, diet-related diseases will continue to escalate.

Source: The Guardian