As someone who has battled with my weight over the years, I have huge sympathy with anyone who’s trying to shift a few pounds.
I would personally never want to go down the ‘fat jabs’ route, I don’t think, but to each their own, quite honestly. Who am I to cast judgement? I would certainly like to fit back into the half of my wardrobe currently filed under ‘ambitious’, in fairness.
An interesting new study has emerged this week, which suggests people shift more pounds if they cook minimally processed food from scratch, compared to those who eat ultra-processed and ready-made foods. The research is the first paper to establish a clear link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and weight.
If you pick up an average ready meal and look at the ingredients list, it often sounds like a strange scientific experiment. Many of the diet plans I’ve followed over the years sell their own branded versions of ready meals, which are low in calories and saturated fat, but often pretty high in salt and sugar in order to give them an edible flavour. It’s all too easy after a busy day at work to pierce the film lid, wait a few minutes, and scoff something that can be heated up during the Corrie ad break.
As I say, I’m not here to judge anyone who regularly eats ready meals. I’m certainly no stranger to them myself. I got into a bad habit when driving home late at night from DJing wedding discos of picking up microwave burgers to have before bed, and I’m pleased to say I’ve got a little better since the ‘0 to tasty in 70 seconds’ phase of my life.
In the boffins’ research, trial participants were given one of two diets to follow for a couple of months. One was made up largely of UPFs, whilst the other comprised minimally processed foods. The first group snacked on breakfast bar and ready-made lasagne (watch the roof of your mouth when it’s just come out of the microwave...written from experience!), whilst the other enjoyed overnight oats, natural yoghurt and homemade spag bol.
Those on the second diet lost twice as much weight as those on the first at the end of the trial. Professor Chris van Tullcken, whose book Ultra Processed People is apparently well worth a read on this stuff, told The Guardian: “The global food system at the moment drives diet-related poor health and obesity, particularly because of the wide availability of cheap, unhealthy food. This study highlights the importance of UPFs in driving health outcomes in addition to the role of nutrients like fat, salt and sugar.”
Policymaking often centres on blaming individuals for their poor choices, but we are clearly being guided in this direction by powerful food companies. Just take a look at the array of multibuy offers on junk food at any supermarket you care to mention. The University College London study seems to offer clear evidence that scratch cooking is the way forward for losing weight.
Recommendations from the team behind the study include policymakers using warning labels, restrictions on junk food marketing, progressive taxation (such as the extra tax on full fat coke, which is soon to be extended to some other drinks), and subsidies to increase awareness, and make healthy food more affordable for all.
Henry Dimbleby’s national food strategy for England was first published in 2020, but has bene repeatedly kicked into the long grass by successive governments, such is the power of the food industry. Rishi Sunak claimed a ban on ‘buy one get one free’ offers would hit poorer families hard at a time of soaring inflation, and cited a “right to choose”. I don’t see much sign of the current Government bringing forward meaningful proposals to address the nation’s bulging waistline. Whilst I accept to a degree it’s on all of us to make better choices, there is value in guiding us towards this path through some meaningful measures. It would ultimately save the NHS a fortune, and hopefully give us all a better quality of life.
In a policy paper published last month, the UK government said it was committed to bringing us “a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient 21st century UK food system that grows the economy, feeds the nation, nourishes people, and protects the environment and climate, now and in the future”. Fancy words, but I look forward to seeing some tangible action soon. Not words reheated like a microwave meal.
