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New York Times Bestseller
Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize
Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year

“A bold inquiry into our addiction to processed food.” ―Financial Times

A compelling call to rethink the way we eat and to transform how we view the human body.

The problem isn’t with you—it’s with the food.

We’re living through an unprecedented era when the majority of the calories we consume come from an entirely new category of substances known as Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs). While scientific definitions can be lengthy, UPFs are easily identified: they’re packaged in plastic and contain ingredients you would never have stocked in your own kitchen.

Why are these foods so prevalent? Because they’re deliberately engineered to trigger addictive behaviors, encouraging us to consume more and more. Today, ultra-processed foods are directly linked to the world’s leading cause of premature death and environmental harm. Despite this, these foods have become staples, representing the most accessible and affordable meals for millions around the globe.

In “Ultra-Processed People,” scientist, medical doctor, award-winning BBC broadcaster, and father Chris van Tulleken brings together cutting-edge scientific research to reveal how government policymakers, healthcare professionals, and scientists have inadvertently allowed multinational food corporations to fuel a global pandemic of diet-induced disease.

This book doesn’t push dieting, calorie-counting, or personal responsibility as the primary solution. Instead, Chris invites readers inside his powerful and headline-making self-experiment: monitored by colleagues at University College London, he spent one full month eating a diet composed of 80 percent ultra-processed foods—a reflection of the standard diet eaten daily by many adults and children, especially in the United States. While Chris underwent rigorous scientific examinations, he connected with leading experts across academia, agriculture, and, crucially, within the food industry itself. Surprisingly, the greatest insight from his month-long journey was discovering how breaking free from the cycle of ultra-processed food fundamentally changed his own eating habits.

Through a vivid, engaging narrative, Chris explores the origins, scientific foundations, and economic realities of ultra-processed food, outlining how its devastating impact touches both human health and the sustainability of our planet. He doesn’t stop at diagnosing the problem, offering actionable, realistic solutions designed for medical professionals, policymakers, and every one of us.

“Ultra-Processed People” is more than a book that will revolutionize the way you shop, cook, and eat—it is a powerful wake-up call, challenging us to demand broader global change.