Understanding ultra-processed food
In recent years, ultra-processed food (UPF) has become a huge part of our diet and is thought to make up over half of a typical UK shopping basket. More than half of all food bought in the UK now falls into this category; far more than in countries such as France or Italy. These foods are often highly palatable, convenient, and widely available; however, their nutritional value is low, being high in calories, sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats while lacking essential nutrients like fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
It’s worth noting that not all processing is bad. Canning, freezing, and pasteurising foods have helped make healthy food safer and more accessible. A tin of chickpeas or a bag of frozen peas, for example, can be just as nutritious as fresh. The problem lies with ‘ultra-processed’ products — foods that have been changed so much that they barely resemble their original ingredients.
How ultra-processed food affects our health
A large body of research shows that eating more ultra-processed foods is linked with a higher risk of many long-term health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and fatty liver disease. Some studies have also found links with poor sleep, anxiety, and overall mental wellbeing.
These foods are designed to be as tasty and moreish as possible. Food companies carefully balance sugar, saturated (unhealthy) fats, and salt to hit what is often referred to as the ‘bliss point’, the combination that makes food most enjoyable and hard to resist. That is why it is so easy to eat large amounts of crisps, biscuits, chocolates or ready meals without feeling full.
Artificial sweeteners, which appear in many low-sugar or ‘diet’ products, have also been associated with irritable bowel syndrome, increased risks of heart and circulatory diseases in large studies.
What counts as ultra processed?
Ultra-processed food (UPF) refers to products that have been industrially manufactured using ingredients not normally used in home cooking — such as emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial flavours, colourings, and sweeteners; these products are made mostly from substances extracted from food, rather than from the original. The more processes a food has gone through, the more the nutrients are lost. UPFs typically contain additives such as colours, flavourings, sweeteners, and preservatives. Examples include soft drinks, packaged snacks, instant noodles, processed meats, sweetened breakfast cereals, and many ready-made meals.
In contrast, minimally processed foods, such as fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, and freshly cooked meals — are closer to their natural form and provide more fibre, vitamins, and nutrients that also help us feel satisfied for longer.
The link between ultra-processed food and weight
A major study comparing two diets — one based on ultra-processed foods, and one based on minimally processed foods — found that both groups could eat until they felt full. However, people eating the less processed diet naturally consumed around 300 fewer calories per day and lost more body fat over eight weeks. They also showed better control over food cravings.
This suggests that our bodies respond differently to real food compared with heavily processed alternatives. When we eat food closer to its natural form, hunger and fullness signals work more effectively, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
Are ultra-processed foods addictive?
Many people describe feeling ‘hooked’ on certain foods, and research supports the idea that ultra-processed foods can trigger similar reward pathways in the brain to addictive substances, , making it hard to stop once you start. Using tools like the Yale Food Addiction Scale, scientists estimate that around one in seven adults and one in eight children show signs of food addiction, particularly towards foods high in sugar and fat.
Among people living with obesity or binge-eating disorder, this number is even higher. Understanding that these foods are designed to make us eat more helps shift the focus away from blaming willpower and towards recognising the food environment we live in, while still encouraging each of us to take responsibility and make the healthiest choices we can when possible.
How to reduce the amount of ultra-processed foods
On a personal level, awareness and small changes can go a long way. Cooking simple meals more often, swapping packaged snacks for fruit, nuts, or yoghurt, and choosing wholegrain or fresh options where possible. Over time, these small steps can make a noticeable difference to weight, energy levels, and overall health.
Increasing the amount of unprocessed food, e.g. vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and pulses and taking control of the ingredients in each meal avoiding emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours or flavours by checking the list of ingredients on food are important steps to a healthier diet. Saving time by cooking more than is required and freezing the extra portions for another day.
How about recreating your favourite takeaway at home, so you can reduce the salt, fat and sugar content. Look at the ingredient lists on foods.
Tackling the effects of ultra-processed foods however isn’t just about individual effort. Wider action, such as improving access to affordable fresh foods, teaching cooking skills, and limiting the marketing of unhealthy products is essential.
Making an informed decision
Choosing real food more often — and understanding what’s in the food is a simple, powerful step towards better wellbeing.
Ultra-processed foods are convenient, and don’t need to be cut out completely. Reducing them and eating more fresh, minimally processed foods is one of the most effective ways to support your long-term health and weight goals.
The ‘focus – on -MORE’ tackles a failing diet culture and moves away from moral judgment and traditional restrictive dieting messages (e.g., ‘eat less’, ‘cut this out’), calorie counting and weight cycling and instead encourages people to think about what to add more of in their diet for health and wellbeing such as more fibre-rich foods (whole grains and pulses), more minimally processed plant foods such as fruit,vegetables, nuts, seeds). It emphasises that there is more to health than body weight alone, e.g. improved sleep, mood, energy levels and gut health are all legitimate ‘health gains’., a strategy supported by NHS England.
It is about finding a balance that works for you and making small, sustainable changes that fit your lifestyle.
At Wessex Private GP, we offer compassionate, personalised support to help you understand your relationship with food, make sustainable nutrition choices, and achieve healthier weight management.
Resources
Gearhardt A N, Bueno N B, DiFeliceantonio A G, Roberto C A, Jiménez-Murcia S, Fernandez-Aranda F et al. Social, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction BMJ 2023; 383 :e075354 doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-075354
Elhassan, H.M.O. Ultra-Processed People. Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food … and Why Can’t We Stop? British Journal of General Practice 2023; 73 (737): 562. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp23X735765
Dicken, S.J., Jassil, F.C., Brown, A. et al. Ultraprocessed or minimally processed diets following healthy dietary guidelines on weight and cardiometabolic health: a randomized, crossover trial. Nat Med 31, 3297–3308 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03842-0
‘Focus on More’ approach (Somerset Council in collaboration with the local ICB / public-health team): https://teamnet.clarity.co.uk/Topics/Public/a3a8da3a-a159-4a4e-8050-b1aa00d445c6
Ferment: The Life-Changing Power of Microbes, Tim Spector (Penguin, 2025)
Ultra-Processed People, Chris van Tulleken (Penguin, 2023)
