“Ultraprocessed” foods seem to trigger neural signals that make us want more and more calories, unlike other foods in the Western diet Nutrition researcher Kevin Hall strives to project a Zen-like state of equanimity. In his often contentious field, he says he is more bemused than frustrated by the tendency of other scientists to “cling to pet theories despite overwhelming evidence that they are mistaken.” Some of these experts, he tells me with a sly smile, “have a fascinating ability to rationalize away studies that don’t support their views.” Discover world-changing science. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners.
Research has found that ultra-processed foods distort signals between the gut and the brain, encouraging people to overeat. While many nutritional experts have previously blamed the world's obesity pandemic on the excessive consumption of fats or carbohydrates, scientists from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that when people are encouraged to consume as much or as little food as they like, they will eat higher quantities of ultra-processed foods compared with unprocessed alternatives.