“We’ve called the foods that harm us junk food and processed food – high fat, salt and sugar food. We’ve not had a way of labeling food even as a pandemic of disease taken over the world.”
A leading BBC doctor has warned that ultra-processed foods (UPF) are now a greater threat to global health than smoking. Dr. Chris van Tulleken, an infectious disease specialist, revealed on the *Diary of a CEO* podcast that poor diets high in UPFs have surpassed tobacco as the top cause of premature death worldwide. “This is particularly true in low-income countries and for low-income people in the UK,” he said, highlighting the widespread impact of unhealthy eating habits.
Dr. van Tulleken, author of *Ultra-Processed People*, explained that confusion around food labeling has exacerbated the crisis. “We’ve called the foods that harm us junk food… but we’ve not had a way of labeling food even as a pandemic of disease taken over the world,” he told host Steven Bartlett. The doctor emphasized that UPFs are not just a health hazard but also a major environmental threat, driving biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, and plastic pollution.
The alarming findings underscore the urgent need for better food policies and public awareness. With UPFs dominating diets globally, experts urge action to curb their consumption and mitigate their devastating effects on human health and the planet.