‘This is an emergency’ - Chris van Tulleken on how our diet is killing us 

I love this quote ”it is not food. It is an industrially produced edible substance. And it’s purpose is financialized growth”

People who can articulate a message this clearly and simply are worth their weight in gold. This guy needs to be heard by a very wide audience. The interviewer was also excellent

I grew up in Lithuania in the 90s. Our family was poor, and we only ate home cooked meals. My grandmother had a garden, a cow and a few pigs, and we always made our own food (butter, cream, sausages). I continue cooking, and sometimes it’s something super simple: boiled eggs, tomato :) but when I moved to UK I was shocked at the amount of fake foods. Never liked it, and I am very happy about it.

Physical health and Mental health are BOTH destroyed by addiction to ultra-processed foods. Great interview!

"The purpose of food, historically, has been about love and nourishment, and feeding friends, family, and community. And that has determined our physiology". And now we have companies making ultra-processed food purely for mass profit. We're in real trouble here. This video is fantastic, and much needed 🙌

Here in Canada we recently had what our media dubbed "Buttergate." So many Canadians began baking again over the pandemic, and wondered why the butter, left to soften on the counter, didn't soften any more. It stayed hard. It emerged that our butter companies had been quietly cutting the dairy in our butter with palm oil. Canadians saw red! we got super upset! We didn't even know they'd been doing it... and with butter at a ridiculous 7 or 8.99$ cdn a brick, and its half palm oil!? Seriously, that's actual fraud. :/

I grew up in Eastern Europe ( long time ago 😂)and gone through my whole childhood without cereals or processed foods .I never gained weight as an adult and never been sick except a couple of flues).I think being poor early in life saved my life , we were forced to eat organic and make our own “ processed “ food by canning and smoking . Thanks mom ❤

Minor point but i really appreciate Dr Chris crediting "mainly female domestic scientists" - giving women the recognition they deserve in ancient science

I’m 82. 5 years ago I stopped eating most processed foods. Olive oil instead of seed oils. I use lard or bacon fat if and when I fry anything. I mostly shop the outside aisles of the store where meats and veggies live. My blood pressure is normal, my sore knees and hips no longer hurt, my brain is sharp and I’ve lost weight. Rarely eat out. Food prep can be a pain sometimes, but I keep it simple. It’s really not difficult.

This is the most significant interview I have seen in years, the breadth of demographics and social groups it affects and the impact that it has on them is vast

We have been eating a plant based diet for a month now and my food shopping bill is actually £25 less each week, so it’s not more expensive to eat healthy, because meat and meat product and dairy are expensive

I was way over morbidly obese and Chis' book was the only thing that switched the habits. Thanks. Lost 45lbs so far.

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. We only ate out on rare occasions. McDonald’s, KFC, were treats, not daily or weekly indulgences. It’s so hard to watch our youth fat, sick, and unmotivated. They’re being robbed, and they don’t even know it!

Two years ago I switched to a non-processed diet. I cook a lot, but my health improved so much. I lost 15kg, and I lost all my allergy symptoms and stomach problems that I had from food. I look younger and feel amazing. The best thing that I have done for my health. No dairy, no wheat products, just natural food. Meat, vegetables, fruits, rice and potatoes.

Great interview. I have a 25 year old son who never ate junk food. I introduced him to great dinners at a young age and we use to cook together and I taught him to read product ingredients from a young age. I do have a brother whose son is a nightmare to eat anything approaching real food. I see this as a real issue facing society today and I welcome you shinning a light it.

Teaching kids how to grow food is possibly the best lesson to be taught. It teaches attention, how to nurture and the benefits of those things.

Many years ago, Jamie `Oliver tried to change school meals. They pushed him out. I hope Chris is more successful.

Excellent presentation. As a nurse I have been trying to promote these ideas for 20yrs and feeling like a very small voice so it is great to see this becoming more mainstream

We all owe Chris van Tulleken a great deal for this work.

Incredible! I've been waiting for years to hear somebody address this. Chris you are such an inspiration. It is also lovely to hear somebody not blaming those suffering with obesity. I feel for anyone suffering with addiction, but food addiction feels like the worse. You don't ever have to put a cigarette to your lips, that is a choice, but with food! Gosh you have to eat food everyday. This makes food addiction so cruel. Thank you for your work 🙏🏼

A brilliant and very clear interview. I’ve read the book and have learnt so much from it. My shopping habits have altered as a result. I am fortunate to have the time and skill to cook my meals from scratch so I know what my husband and I are consuming It’s time home economics came back into the national curriculum We all need to know how to cook our own food from basic ingredients Surely this is a fundamental life skill our children need to learn as basic as reading and writing

It bugs me that we have “health food” shops which literally just sell “food”. They aren’t selling health food. They’re selling actual food. We wouldn’t eat as much if we ate food that actually filled us up. We’ve all been conned.

I had a coworker that graduated from the University of Maryland that was taught that HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP was a nutrient. The problem is that the coworker believed it.

It's great to hear people talking about this more. I grew up with cigarettes everywhere and society is far better now. The same thing needs to happen with the food industry. Health warnings, packaging restrictions, a nutrition tax that makes unhealthy foods expensive.

I’ve been eating a Mediterranean diet for many years, with olive oil, butter, fish and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Combined with exercise, it keeps me fit in my retirement.

We should lobby for a new Processed food label. 1.Un-processed = Fresh products, no processing 2.Processed = Fresh products, processed but no additives 3.Ultra-processed = Any additives at all. Problem solved

I stopped eating processed food a while ago and actually i don't find it more expensive eating what I call 'ingredients from the earth'. I bought a big stew pot, I cook big batches of curry, chilli, Bolognese etc, I dont worry about calories just use natural ingredients, portion it up, put it in the freezer and I have dozens of meals ready to go. I've also found that with natural ingredients I eat less often so that saves money. I dont keep chocolate, sweets, crisps or ready meals in the house. Its right that you have to rethink what food is. Ignore that people on TV eat a lot, ignore the adverts, ignore the tricks in the shops trying to draw you in. Stick to your own path and its quite affordable. The cost of living crisis doesnt help but I feel like I'd be spending so much more if I still ate pre-made junk items.

When I started becoming sensitive to foods I had to start label reading to avoid certain items that would make me ill. Doing this really opened my eyes to the knowledge that at least 80% of what is in a grocery store is not food. It may be edible but it's not food, it has little to no nutritional value. The next thing I noticed it people seem to think it's cheaper, it's not. Healthy real unprocessed food is actually cheaper than the processed alternatives. The 3rd thing I noticed is so few people know how to cook meals, it's a skill that has been lost in our very busy world. It's not a perfect world and I don't shame people if they have no alternatives or no access to healthy food but there is a lot of education that is missing.

Ultra processed food is what they feed patients, staff and visitors in hospitals. It's awful 😢

Chris van Tulleken deserves a King's Honour for his work in educating the UK (and the world) population around the Ultra Processed Food situation. OBE, OBE, OBE, OBE!!!

Since April I have stop eating processed food and I have went from 140kg to 111kg 😊

"The purpose of food, historically, has been about love and nourishment, and feeding friends, family, and community. And that has determined our physiology". And now we have companies making ultra-processed food purely for mass profit. We're in real trouble here. This video is fantastic, and much needed

„Are you REALLY comforted by the comfort food?“ That is a good question! I think a lot of people (including me) have internalized that chocolate and crisps and cake and alcohol is comfort and therefore at least good for the mind and soul. But a lot of times it makes you feel worse afterwards. It‘s great in the moment but feels shallow and sickening hours later. Great interview!!

I'm 28 and have been eating home-made meals for lunch my whole life(I'm from eastern Europe). Yes it's time-consuming but it tastes and feels better, I can't eat highly processed food bcs it simply tastes fake and I'd get stomach problems. I recently moved to Germany and now have to pay a lot more for normal food but it's worth it.

Potato chips are a perfect example of addictive foods!! Can't stop at just a handful!!

I worked for a margarine company which were full of University educated chemists who had cooks baking bread, biscuits etc with altered ingredients. It is only now, after listening to this, that I can understand what they were doing. I remember the margarine felt sort of like edible plastic, while they were altering the colouring and texture. The baked goods were using the margarine for taste and texture. This was in the late 1970s, so it has been going on for quite some time. If you look at a group of people in the 1970s they were all slim. It is shocking seeing the difference.

I am from Spain and the diet I see some British have is absolutely terrible, sugar and butter daily, and almost no fresh fish.

I would urge everyone to share this video as much as you can to spread the word of truth thank you so much doctor

Such an important message. I also struggle to convince my kids to eat more healthily. The only effective way I’ve found is to not have UPF in the house and make the effort to make good food available, including leftovers of good food (including frozen) that’s easy to reheat. I feel so much better for avoiding UPF and my blood tests show the benefits

Just wanted to say any programme with this interviewer is guaranteed to be a delight. He sometimes does let personal bias colour his attitude towards his guests, but he always 100% is present, actively listens and asks insightful questions.

One either sees the writing on the wall or one doesn't. My type 2 diabetes diagnosis saved my life, but only because I acted upon it. Like Dr Tulleken, I find moderation much more difficult than abstinence. I think that coming to terms with where one stands as regards moderation is extremely important.

Processed food companies are clever though as they insert B vitamins and D vitamins into their unhealthy foods and then take the moral high ground and can easily defend their products on that basis.

This is such a fantastic interview and I'm so glad things like this are being discussed. Food has such a hefty psychological sway with us and companies know exactly how to play that to their advantage - the sugar and fat combination that replicates mothers milk and subconsciously takes us right back to being loved and safe is why things like chocolate are so addictive, and boy don't food companies know it!

Read this book then watched this interview. Genuinely think everyone needs to read his book. I agreed with him before reading but still learnt a lot and had my beliefs challenged. Go Dr Chris!!

Great interview with someone who talks practical sense rather than dogma. It took me many years to discover the underlying cause of my painful guts after eating, but feel blessed that I now know. I’m 62 and have had painful guts for years as well as anxiety, dry eye and osteoporosis (due to malabsorption). It has taken over 3years of eating only whole foods for my symptoms to change and now off all meds. Even managed to give up coffee and alcohol with no problems (after the initial withdrawal symptoms had abated).

My mother taught me in the 1960s to shop “the perimeter of the grocery store”, meaning only the meat, dairy, and produce isles, she was an early advocate of a healthy diet, including completely avoiding processed foods. The only exceptions were simple canned foods like beans, and frozen vegetables and hard-to-get-fresh fruit like blueberries. They didn’t have all those highly processed choices like frozen veggies with plastic sauces. She cooked us daily meals with the emphasis on lean proteins and lots of fresh vegetables. Even then, she mostly used dried beans and other, less processed choices. If she made pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, she bought a pumpkin, cooked a mashed it and froze it the week before. Breadcrumbs for stuffing were homemade from scratch from her own bread. (She baked our own healthy whole wheat bread). We were all very healthy and slim. I still eat dairy products, compared to those sugary, high-processed, flavored milk alternatives, it’s the healthy choice. We humans have been doing that for ten thousand years, those who were lactose-tolerant received distinct advantages from eating dairy products.

I used to eat junk food (especially chocolate and biscuits) like it was going out of fashion. The last few years I’ve switched to a majority whole food diet and look and feel so much better for it. My skin is much clearer and my stomach is much more settled. I find abstinence much easier than moderation. Plus it gives me a great deal of satisfaction no longer giving money to crisp and chocolate companies who fill their packaging full of air and charge you more money for less product - product that’s harmful to health anyway!

dr.tulleken is a saint. he did not sell his soul to WEF. bless you dr and your loved ones. you have connected all the dots for us and now it is up to us to make the change for better health. thank you🙏🙏🙏

I switched to a whole food diet about a year ago, but it’s extremely time consuming. I try to food prep a couple of times a week, so I have things ready when I need them, but it still takes hours to cook everything from scratch ( not to mention the washing up!) It’s not so much about the money as vegetables and many whole food ingredients are still some of the cheapest things you can buy in supermarkets - it’s about the time - most people just don’t have that sort of time to spend in the kitchen. I’m lucky that I am at a stage in my life when I do have a bit more time but it requires a lot of planning and commitment as well.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's on home-cooked, traditional food. I brought my family up on a wider variety of cuisines but using much the same approach of fresh ingredients. It was actually cheaper to make a big pot of stew or whatever than the number of ready meals it would have taken to satisfy everyone. Of course they had pizza. cheerios, chicken dippers, and ketchup to dip them in, but not every day. I always read the labels on food and taught them to do the same, and to be suspicious of ingredients we don't use at home. I just always thought of food as nutrients rather than just something to assuage hunger, and weighed the cost/benefit on that basis.

In the last month, I have dropped all sugary foods, drinks, all processed foods and meals. I've also dramatically reduced the amount of strachy foods that spike insulin etc. The result is I have dropped 10 pounds, stiff joints have become much less inflamed and I have recovered energy that I thought I'd lost. All this just by NOT eating the wrong stuff. I've saved money too. What this is costing the country in terms of lost productivity and long term healthcare must be in the tens of billions annually. This video is essential viewing, thank you Channel 4.

Pleasantly surprised to see Ch 4 doing real journalism. Credit where its due.

It’s not until you really start to get into diet/nutrition/exercise that you really notice a LOT of people in the UK are seriously out of shape. I particularly notice it in the older generations as well as if they’ve just given up long ago

I have watched many videos recently about this issue. This is the first one that explained in a way that made me share it with my loved ones. Having watched the standards of the media drop just shy of the gutter in a rising tide of hyper-palatable sensationalism, this interview is a rare diamond and gives me hope. Thank you! X

Totally brilliant and life changing. And what a clear, decent and eloquent person he is. Thank you!

In the 80's I was called a "New Age Freak" because of my belief butter was natural and better for you than margarine, I advocated for a natural diet and reading labels and know what you are putting in your body. I am delighted that this is being addressed in a serious manner.

The greatest impediment I see to eating healthy is the cost of healthy foods and the time it takes to prepare it. As someone with a spinal cord injury on a fixed income it's very difficult to afford good whole food. Vegetables and lean meats have gone up dramatically.

In Mexico we have a prohibition for cartoon mascots in products directed at children, also big black hexagons on the paquet if an item is high on sugars , fats or sodium.

The game-changer for me was working next door to Cranks Vegetarian Wholefood Restaurant (long gone, alas), where I got a real taste for wholefoods, and have never looked back. Wholefoods last long in the mouth, taste better and fill you up faster. The Cranks servers regularly had to warn customers not to over-order, because the food was so filling.

I have been eating as he recommends for a year or so now, and it has been brilliant. I previously had a reasonably healthy diet, with plenty of fruit and veg and some whole grains, but I did eat a fair amount of UPFs. I’ve not become obsessive, and still have treats, but cutting almost all of this stuff out has made a huge difference. I’m more cheerful, sleeping better, have lost some weight, and feel younger. My diet is not boring, and I’m loving it. I wish so much that everyone would or could do this. The difference if you start from a classic “unhealthy” diet must be amazing.

I'm so thrilled that a news channel with so many subscribers is creating awareness around what real food is. For far too long most of the so-called "food" industries have been abusing the health consumers with their overly processed, sugar, salt and other chemical-lafen "foods." This is now a real emergency globally.

It’s really quite easy! Eat-Eggs, butter, meat , seafood, a few veg,fruit in season, small amount of dairy. Good quality salt, Drink filtered water that’s it.

i am so happy my mum taught me all these things since I was young kid. We are turkish and we mostly cooked at home, eating seperate meals was absolutely taboo and once a year my mum would let us have mcdonalds and coca cola. To this day I don't touch soft drinks she manifested it so into our heads. At school I was the kid with the best lunches and everybody wanted to exchange food with me.

I used to suffer from debilitating migraines and awful stomach problems when I was eating heavily processed foods. I was also extremely depressed. As soon as I started clearing my diet and limiting my processed foods, my migraines disappeared, I haven’t had one in a few years now. My stomach problems have also gone (unless I eat dairy which I avoid most of the time), and I overall feel so much better mentally and physically. You are what you eat, so put good stuff in your body!!

I've been aware of a lot of this for many years and have avoided processed food, but this interview crystallised it very well indeed, and made me see something more clearly - it's not just the food that is being processed - it's all of us as well - the consumer and the consumed, both part of, and serving, the same cold, relentless, amoral machine.

This is an amazing conversation. I will be buying this book. Thank you so much. I’m a recovering processed foods addict and just cutting back on it, has improved by brain and physical power incredibly over the past week. I will no longer be a slave to a corporate grift.

Thank you so much, the world needs to hear this so badly.

He’s so articulate and genuine

I saw his video for the bbc two years ago when my daughter was a few months old. I decided I would avoid all ultra processed foods in her diet. It’s been very expensive but so worth it. She eats very well and is smart and healthy with very good teeth. I’ve tried multiple times to shake my own addiction and eat the same diet I feed my daughter but so far I struggle to last more than a few weeks because I miss chocolate. Just finished the Ultra Processed People book last week, solidified by belief in the avoiding UPFs for my daughter but still struggling myself.

When kids say 'there's nothing to eat' when the fridge is full of healthy food, they're really saying they're already addicted. The food industrial complex has them by hook and by crook.

I remember being diagnosed with underactive thyroid in my teens after being extremely exhausted for years. Following this I began looking into different thyroid, autoimmune and keto diets, and in the space of more than a decade of suffering with IBS, pain, migraines no GP ever spoke to me about diet. To the point that they sent me for a Coeliacs test, without listening to me when I said I have not eaten gluten for 8+ years. The doctor should have said the test will not show a result then. Anyway, 12 years later - i have autoimmune thyroid, endometriosis and 2 ovarian cysts, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Pots and likely Mcas. Food ties into all of it. Never has my doctor addressed diet. Apart from asking if I eat meat, which I do, as I have had low anaemia my whole life. That’s shocking to me.

Around 5 years ago I made a few change to my diet: I decided to consume only whole unprocessed foods, just the uncooked natural ingredients. Veg, fruit, grains, meat, fish. I cut out ALL added sugar and seed oils and switched to cooking with olive oil and butter. I have found it easy to stick to and it's delicious. To assume it is more expensive than the way I ate previously is false. The savings on junk get fed back into purchasing quality ingredients. Some weeks I can afford a nice steak and other weeks it's ground beef, both do the job nicely. Some weeks I can afford wild caught salmon and other weeks I need to stick to more eggs. You can do it if you want to.

I completely understand the link between sugar, unprocessed food and addiction. Previously having alcohol addiction, unable to moderate, food is exactly the same... i have an addictive personality. I have been on keto, i try to eat as naturally as possible. My skin has cleared up, i feel less tired, perimenopause symptoms have improved. Its a personal choice to change. Once you have the knowledge and start to understand whats going on, you cant unsee this stuff. Great work on the book. Abi

Excellent interview, thank you. I cook from scratch, gluten free diet, a little hard cheese from raw milk, no milk, no sugar. So my system cannot stand processed food any more!

Dieting, low-carbs, high proteins, balance macros, sugar intake, healthy vs bad oils, intermittent fasting, Cardio VS HIIT VS Muscle building exercise regimen, meal timing, processed foods ...People get overwhelmed. I honestly and truly believe the single greatest change the average person in the 21st century can make to drastically improve their health is cook their own meals from scratch. Even if people give up on all the other health tracking steps like counting calories and exercise and simply commit (to intuitive eating homemade meals) I think most people in the general public will see a positive change.

2 most important reasons we're having such difficult time buying, preparing, consuming healthy food. 1. Lack of knowledge on how to cook 2. Lack of time for cooking

This video is exactly what I need at this point in my life

I love seeing a mainstream conversation telling people to eat real food and butter. Finally the conversation is being updated.

He's wonderful. I knew most of these pieces of information, but to hear someone put them all together in such an organized and articulate way was really helpful. I also appreciate that he doesn't blame the individual consumer who is being manipulated by evil multinational corps. We need to tackle this problem as a society.

in the UK did we not ban supermarkets from having sweets + chocolates at the checkout aisles about ten years ago.. those little aisles started to be filled with little nut bags, fruit bags instead. But now I see candy and chocolates back in the aisles, even at easter offers for easter eggs lined up along where people queue for self service

Just finished the audiobook. Bought the physical book so I can highlight bits. Life changing stuff. Thank you.

I mean, I think we all kind of knew this. But we kind of hide the truth from ourselves.

What an engaging and clear interview. Loved it and could not stop watching.

Thank you Dr, I've listened/seen you talk about this sort of thing before, I so appreciate you talking about this 'food' problem etc. I cook a lot, and hate eating processed foods, it feels like eating chemicals, I tell my granddaughter hoping she'll eventually get it🤷 Please keep telling us 🙏

It’s so hard when your kids are resistant, but I’m optimistic that my leading by example to my 30yo son will eventually pay off. I can’t tell him anything, but I spied my chance the other day when he said ‘you look good for 60, mum’ and I replied ‘that’ll be the healthy food and running, mate’. He’ll get it one day 🙏

School canteens are serving our children Frankenfood, laced with unhealthy seed oils and ultra processed gloop.

"It's not food, it's an industrially produced, edible substance"🤯🤯 Changed the way I see all of this!!

i recently heard the term pre-digested food... that is a repulsive term and has really made me never want to have it again.

I agree about the addiction. I seek out sweet stuff after lunch. I have also cut out the majority of cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate and go through horrible withdrawal over a several day period. Unfortunately, go on holiday, start the bad habit again and your back to square zero.

I gave up all sugar and processed food about ten years ago. My doctor told me to get my blood sugar down, so I started reading labels more. Every processed food here in the US is chock-full of sugar, even mayonnaise and salad dressings (they taste disgusting). They also contain a lot of unhealthy oils/fats and a huge assortment of other chemicals. The result of changing my diet, I eliminated simple carbs as well as sugar, combined with walking, caused a 40 lb. weight loss, normal blood sugar and a better lipid profile. The diet and walking together is the only method that caused me any loss of that dangerous visceral fat. My goal is to lose 20 lbs. more and get to a BMI of 18.5 and a waist measurement of under 30”, I’m almost there on the latter. The reason for the low goal BMI is that I have a tiny frame, so should have less body fat than other women my height, I just learned.

Absolutely superb evidence based information. Such an important watch / listen. Thank you Chris and Krish. X

I’m 43. I recognised myself as addicted to sugar years ago. I am not obese, but only because I fight with the desire to consume certain types of foods and I use intermittent fasting to aid me. The struggle is real. Most people just laugh at the idea of being addicted to food. The most scary fact is, that it is more and more difficult to find healthy food in the shops. I do not know what is going to happen to human race if this madness is not stopped.

Super interview. This doctor is so genuine.

Ultra processed ‘foods’ are not foods, they’re Products

Just listened to your interview , Already started cutting out most of processed food in my daily diet Even 2 weeks in I’m sleeping much better than I have for years . I’m eating a lot more protein and carbs and good fats and I am not hungry at all. I was addicted to sugar and I was hungry all the time .I will keep looking at my diet and cut down even more on the small amount of processed foods as I get better making good choices. Thank you for giving me something to think about a while ago Christine from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

not finished it yet but i do like how he phrases things so he’s not completely fear mongering and talking about things ppl don’t understand unless they’re into science

I remember a few years ago watching a program on how many food companies try and find the blisspoint of a product. I found it particularly creepy and started eating more basic foods, funnily enough I also quite smoking at the same time.

I really hope Chris van Tulleken's book reaches a lot of people. Concerns about UPF are not new. The red flags started to appear at least two decades ago but have largely been thwarted by the Big Food industry. The evidence is there but so should be the common sense. Why does it surprise us that eating this stuff causes obesity and other health problems? Great interview. p.s. I also stopped smoking using the Alan Carr method - not had a cigarette for 35 years, nor the slightest desire for one.

That was so refreshing to watch. To actually explain these problems without claiming everything is toxic and pushing an agenda to sell the cure to said toxic... And not judge people of ill health.. I can't put it into words as well as you did but I just think this was such good information.

Dr. Dan your positive outlook on life and approach to dealing with your cancer diagnosis while still caring for others is amazing, inspiring and humbling. God bless you and I pray you may have a long and rewarding life ahead of you.