The problem with blaming ‘ultra-processed’ foods for obesity (opens in new tab)

Former NHS director Kevin Hall became a household name after in 2019 he published a groundbreaking study showing that participants on a diet of ‘ultra-processed’ foods subconsciously consume an extra 500 calories a day, compared to participants who selected from unprocessed foods. His paper garned efusive praise by the media and podcasts as being an ‘obvious’ or self-evident explanation for the obesity crisis. The praise has continued to come in, with a 2026 headline in Yahoo Health proclaimi...