Why We Don't Need Big Food's Permission to Be Healthy

Last week Chris Van Tulleken confirmed through his Lancet paper that ultra-processed food causes human ill health through chronic disease. There is no ignoring the mounting evidence. Put starkly, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) harm every single organ in the human body - from our skin and eyes to our hearts and every organ around and in between.

The food manufacturing industry is fighting back by choosing to miss the point. This is what they have always done. They choose to confuse the consumer rather than accept that their food manufacturing choices are killing people. One executive said, "But if you cannot eat a pasta meat sauce - what is the world coming to?" Shock, horror. Of course you can eat a pasta meat sauce, just not an ultra-processed one.

At Honesty we make and sell real food. Ask any of our shop assistants what is in our food and they will be happy and able to tell you. Many shops will not.

The basis of Chris Van Tulleken's report is to show how our modern dependence on UPFs in our diets has displaced traditional dietary habits where eating centred on wholefoods and the culinary preparation of dishes and meals. In other words, we used to cook our meals from scratch using primary ingredients and we don't anymore. As a result, our diets have deteriorated along with our health. Good diets, rich in health-protecting phytochemicals, assist with chronic disease prevention. UPF diets lack the nutrient balance for healthy existence, leading us to overeat. This is due to the high energy density, hyper-palatability and soft textures of UPF. It is particularly this part of the research that leads one to the inevitable conclusion that Big Food wants to get us hooked on ultra-processed diets as they are highly addictive and lead to a downward spiral that is difficult to reverse. Customers for life, so to speak - albeit a shortened and less healthy life.

There are now 230 scientific papers that support the general hypothesis that UPFs cause human ill health through chronic disease.

In the UK, 50% of our population's total energy intake is derived from UPFs.

We can reverse this and we don't have to wait for the government to react. After all, the government is lobbied heavily by Big Food if it catches a hint of any legislative changes that could impact its revenues, and the government is putting all its faith in appetite-suppressing drugs. The supposed easy fix.

We can vote with our money and support businesses doing the right thing. It is now possible to buy direct from farms and market gardens in a way that could not have been envisaged ten years ago. We have no excuse to say that it is too difficult. We do have a responsibility for our personal wellbeing and the health of our children, so make the change today.

Click here to read the full report.