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A Turning Point for Ultraprocessed Foods

A new study has found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight, and there’s growing concern — among politicians, scientists and consumers — about one potential culprit: ultraprocessed foods. Guest: Alice Callahan, a nutrition and health reporter for The New York Times, discusses how these foods came to be such a big part of what we eat, and why that’s so hard to change.
Duration
33m
Broadcast on
13 Dec 2024
Audio Format
other

A new study has found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight, and there’s growing concern — among politicians, scientists and consumers — about one potential culprit: ultraprocessed foods.

Guest: Alice Callahan, a nutrition and health reporter for The New York Times, discusses how these foods came to be such a big part of what we eat, and why that’s so hard to change. 

Background reading: 

  • There’s not enough evidence to recommend avoiding ultraprocessed foods, a scientific advisory committee says. Some experts disagree.
  • Name a common condition — heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, irritable bowel syndrome — and chances are good that a diet high in ultraprocessed foods has been linked to it. 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.


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This podcast is supported by TikTok. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren't looking for. That happens every day on TikTok. A science experiment can spark a whole new interest. A recipe you stumble upon can become a meal you make for the people you love. And a restaurant you've never heard of might become your new favorite spot. That's the thing about TikTok. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Your next discovery is waiting on TikTok. From the New York Times, I'm Sabrina Tavernisi, and this is The Daily. (upbeat music) A new study has found that nearly three quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight. And there's been growing concern among politicians, scientists and consumers about one potential culprit. Are ultra-processed foods to blame? For addiction to sugar and ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods and a proper processed food. Ultra-processed food. We are all addicted to eating fast food and ultra-processed foods, and that is melting our brains in real time, straight up. Today, my colleague, nutrition writer, Alice Callahan, on how these foods came to be such a big part of what we eat, and why that's so hard to change. (upbeat music)
It's Friday, December 13th. (upbeat music) Alice Callahan, welcome to the show. - Thank you, it's so good to be here, Sabrina. - So you cover nutrition for the times, and you, as I understand, are uniquely qualified to have this conversation about ultra-processed foods because you literally have a PhD in nutrition. - I do have a PhD in nutrition. That's right. So I started out in academia. I thought that I would be a nutrition scientist, but pretty soon after I actually decided to transition to science writing, because I really wanted to be in a position where I could read the science, talk to the scientists, and then be able to turn around and kind of interpret it for everyday people who are trying to figure out what to eat.

Transcription truncated.

A new study has found that nearly three-quarters of American adults are now obese or overweight, and there’s growing concern — among politicians, scientists and consumers — about one potential culprit: ultraprocessed foods. Guest: Alice Callahan, a nutrition and health reporter for The New York Times, discusses how these foods came to be such a big part of what we eat, and why that’s so hard to change.