Ultra-Processed People

Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn’t Food...and Why Can’t We Stop?

By: Chris van Tulleken

Narrated by: Chris van Tulleken

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
FORTNUM & MASON'S DEBUT FOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
AN ECONOMIST, DAILY MAIL, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING and AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONE'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
Chosen by the SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, FT and DAILY MAIL as one of their BEST SUMMER BOOKS OF 2023

This audiobook contains exclusive bonus content between Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken, where they deep-dive into what you've just listened to at the end of each part.

An eye-opening investigation into the science, economics, history and production of ultra-processed food.

It's not you, it's the food.

We have entered a new 'age of eating' where most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances called Ultra-Processed Food, food which is industrially processed and designed and marketed to be addictive. But do we really know what it's doing to our bodies?

Join Chris in his travels through the world of food science and a UPF diet to discover what's really going on. Find out why exercise and willpower can't save us, and what UPF is really doing to our bodies, our health, our weight, and the planet (hint: nothing good).

For too long we've been told we just need to make different choices, when really we're living in a food environment that makes it nigh-on impossible. So this is a book about our rights. The right to know what we eat and what it does to our bodies and the right to good, affordable food.

'Clearly a brilliant book' James O'Brien

'If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one' Bee Wilson

'A devastating, witty and scholarly destruction of the shit food we eat and why' Adam Rutherford

©2023 Chris van Tulleken (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

A brilliant book . . . a real eye-opener. The bottom line is that if we keep consuming sugar, salt and fat on the scale that we currently do, it is going to cost all of us an unconscionable fortune in the future. (James O'Brien)

You’ve got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page and think about it for the rest of the week (Chris Evans)

A devastating, witty and scholarly destruction of the shit food we eat and why (Adam Rutherford)

If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one. It will not only change the way you eat but the way you think about food. And it does all this without a hint of finger-wagging or body shaming. I came away feeling so much better informed about every aspect of ultra-processed food, from the way it affects the microbes in our gut to why it is so profitable to produce to why it's so hard to eat only a single bowl of Coco Pops to why any food that is marketed as 'better for you' is almost certainly not. (Bee Wilson)

A wonderful and fascinating exposé of ultra-processed food, edible substances with strange sounding ingredients which are manufactured by some of the wealthiest companies on the planet and which, worryingly, form an increasing part of our diet. As Chris shows, not only have these foods been formulated to ensure that we eat them constantly and without thought, but they hijack our ability to regulate what we eat, primarily by affecting our brains. And he backs up his claims with a powerful self-experiment, along with lots of rigorous and often shocking research. Reading this book will make you question what you eat and how it was produced (Dr. Michael Mosley)

Packed with "I never knew that" moments, Ultra-Processed People is a wonderfully playful book that changed forever how I think about what I eat and why (Hannah Fry)

Everyone needs to know this stuff (Tim Spector, author of SPOON FED and FOOD FOR LIFE)

An engrossing, infuriating read. Ultra-Processed People makes most fictional villains look quaint. Read it and fight back! (Rob Delaney)

A much-needed, eye-opening exposé. Beautifully written, each page reveals hidden truths and asks you to re-think and re-connect to food in a way that has been lost for decades. Truly mind-blowing! (Megan McCubbin)

The past 10 years has seen an inflection point in human history, where more people in the world are now dying of eating too much, than of eating too little. This urgent and captivating read digs deep into one of the huge reasons, the rise and rise of ultra-processed food' (Giles Yeo)

Important, entertaining and i can’t stop talking about it

This book has changed the way I think about food, obesity and the whole economy. It’s time I learnt to cook real food!

Listen, and eat whole foods

The idea that food has to be fast end easy to eat is made up by the fast-food industry. Ultra processed food is the result of industry making the largest amount of profits by selling the least amount of real food. This book exposes the truth on ultra processed food. Highly recommend!

Excellent eye opening book

Unsure if I’ll ever browse the aisles at a supermarket the same. A very interesting and well put together book

It's one of those books I feel that everyone should read.

Informative, humorous and engaging. I listened to the whole thing in a weekend. Highly recommended.

A very important read, it being enjoyable is a major plus.

A much needed explanation of UPF, without the judgments and push towards any kind of diet. The author has made the painstaking effort of covering a topic from all aspects (scientific, historic, socio-economic) to allow his readers a good chance at making informed decisions - something that has been taken away from us as consumers for far too long. Thoroughly researched, and delivered in such entertaining manner. I agree that if someone from this era must read only one book about nutrition, this would be it.

Chris, thank you for taking the risks and shedding some light on what the food conglomerates have tried to hide from us for decades. You are a hero for this.