DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Ultra Processed Foods

I have made a few posts in which I commented on the situation with Ultra Processed foods, how they are killing us (or shortening our lives) and how essentially about 8 mega food companies supply/control over 50% of what we eat. I even said that it'll come to be the tabacco story of the future with food execs knowing exactly what they were doing and sought profit and growth at the expense of human health.

It'll be interesting to see if this issue becomes political like, for example, the environment.

STORY

San Francisco files landmark lawsuit, comparing ultra-processed food companies to 'big tobacco'
The city argues ultra-processed foods have led to a health care crisis.

Agreed 100 percent bro.

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/what-are-ultra-processed-foods

I think that is one of the reasons food in Europe tastes so different from food in the US

I made a switch to whole foods back when I was diagnosed with diabetes. We buy few canned goods or much of anything out of a box. We start with fresh or frozen meat and veggies try to cook with whole natural foods without the bastardization with additives, preservatives, artificial gobbledygook… I can’t even walk into a McD’s, Taco bell, white castle, or a few other places that sell chemical representations of food without getting gut cramps… and a lot of people live entirely on that crap.

Now, we’re accustomed to paying a little more to make real food… but it’s probably the one health choice I/we made that saved me to this point.

UPF should be eliminated. they are horrible!

What are the 5 most processed foods to avoid?
AI Overview
The five most processed foods to avoid are sugary drinks, processed meats, packaged snacks, sugary breakfast cereals, and frozen/fast foods. These items are often high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and additives, with minimal nutritional value.
1. Sugary drinks
Examples: Sodas, energy drinks, sweetened coffee and tea.
Why to avoid: High in added sugar and empty calories, with no real nutritional value.
2. Processed meats
Examples: Hot dogs, sausages, bacon, ham, and deli meats.
Why to avoid: Often contain high levels of sodium and preservatives like nitrates and nitrites.
3. Packaged snacks
Examples: Potato chips, cookies, crackers, and pretzels.
Why to avoid: Typically made with refined flours, salt, and additives to increase shelf life and flavor.
4. Sugary breakfast cereals
Examples: Most cereals marketed to children.
Why to avoid: Usually high in sugar, refined grains, and artificial colors, while being low in fiber and protein.
5. Frozen/fast foods
Examples: Frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, and fast food burgers.
Why to avoid: Loaded with unhealthy fats, processed carbs, and a wide array of artificial ingredients.

I don't know about eliminated but curtailed for sure. We need to strive to find that balance between additives and a stable shelf life.

As OCD said, it really becomes your choice. You choose what you eat. If we start to make smarter choices more often, then those 2-3 processed ham deli sandwich's you eat over a month aren't going to become a major problem.
As to 888 article on Tobacco, I can see some parallels, but probably not quite the same. Nicotine addicts people and causes them to seek more and more to satisfy their need. I can't say for sure but I don't think food additives are addictive in nature. Probably more just that salami or whatever it is you like to eat.

I think most everybody knows that the items on Limas list are things we should limit. I think we would be hard pressed to find many who think starting your day with a big bowl of fruit loops is a good way to kick off the day.

There's plenty of science to show that food companies can and do try to make junk food more addictive. Even if the third article title seems a stretch, there is a lot of science to show that food companies do try to make food addictive:

https://www.metagenics.co.uk/news/t...tion-how-the-companies-keep-us-lovin-it/
The Science of Junk Food Addiction: How The Companies Keep Us Lovin' It

https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/news-ev...late-you-into-eating-more-junk-food.html
How food corporations manipulate you into eating more junk food

https://usrtk.org/ultra-processed-foods/addictive/
Some ultra-processed foods are as addictive as cigarettes and cocaine

https://www.steponefoods.com/blogs/...04hzzCXAS74JBEPBwJ9zZVPWL8IvvUMjvpc-YwAt
Food companies make food addictive

I didn't read any. I'll take your word at face value. I have never met you but I assume you have a face..lol

Then we need to try to get rid of the things we can. Some we probably can't.

There are tight margins in the food industry. There have to be some items in place to make food items more shelf stable. You can't do farm to table on a large scale basis. If you think food is high now, wait until we reduce the shelf life and have to toss food right and left because it has expired.

Overall I think we are all in agreement to the largest degree. I am just pointing out that processing makes foods available year round and taste better...at least to the palates we have developed over a lifetime. We all know we eat too much salt. If we reduced salt amounts by 50% tomorrow, people would just add their own. If we would step it down over 10 years, it might take. Don't even make a point to telling people. Just do it.

I think there could be healthy ways to still keep extended shelf life stable. I simply don't think there have been concentrated efforts to find them. They have found a very cheap way to do it and I don't believe they have considered it in their best interest to invest in finding more healthy alternatives.

This attention being given to get rid of forever chemicals may be the push they need in order to do so. At least I hope so. Much like yourself I don't think these foods really harm you if eaten in moderation. The problem is a lot of people use such foods as the main source of their diet.

For me what it boils down to is do we force food manufacturers to higher standards or do we hold consumers responsible for their dietary choices?

The argument could be made that if consumers stop eating a lot of these foods that contain so many forever chemicals the market would demand those food manufacturers find healthy alternatives.

I'm making this my new signature... so thank you for that.


In all seriousness... while I'm not a fan of most of RFK's shtick, I will say (again) that if he can even make a dent in terms of improving our unhealthy diet then his part of this admin will have been a success.

Yes, our healthcare system is a bureaucratic mess that costs us orders of magnitude more than it should... and nobody in charge seems to want to actually address this.

Yes, we are on this anti-science kick right now.


But I bet we could short-circuit a bunch of that vicious cycle if we can get more healthy foods into the diets of more people in this country.