You’re here, so you probably already know that most diets in the Western world are sub-optimal at best, yet recognize the importance of diet in maintaining overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, the internet contains vast reams of unsubstantiated opinions, including health claims that are essentially infomercials for food or supplement manufacturers. To navigate this confusing landscape, we must first understand the fundamentals of what we should or should not be eating, and this can be challenging for most people who do not hold a diploma in nutrition and who perhaps have not grown up with a healthy diet in the first place!

In the UK and the US, the government has established food labelling protocols that seek to guide consumers toward healthier eating choices. One of these protocols is the “traffic light” system, clearly displaying the amount of specific “danger” nutrients like salt, sugar and fat as green, amber or red (denoting good, average or bad). This system has been demonstrated to result in healthier choices in some respects, in that consumers have tended to trend towards items in the green category. Still, it is fundamentally broken insofar as many ultra-processed foods are labelled green across the board, whereas healthy unprocessed foods like nuts would be labelled red for their high-fat content.

The Rise Of Ultra-Processed

The 21st-century food landscape is markedly different from that of our ancestors and even from just a few decades ago. One of the most profound shifts has been the meteoric rise of ultra-processed foods, which have become a staple in diets around the supposedly advanced world. This phenomenon has unfolded in the background of modern life, subtly transforming our eating habits, health, and relationship with food.

Ultra-processed foods are not just the obvious culprits like sugary sodas or fast food; they span a wide array of products that have undergone extensive processes and contain numerous ingredients, many of which are not used in home cooking. These can include preservatives, colourings, flavourings, and sweeteners designed to enhance shelf-life, palatability, and profitability. The shift towards these foods has been underpinned by the dual engines of convenience and marketing prowess, seducing consumers with the siren song of time-saving options and manufactured deliciousness.

This shift is the confluence of modernity’s most influential currents: advancing technology, hyper-capitalism, and the relentless pursuit of efficiency. Food technology has enabled the mass production of foods that offer extended shelf lives and can survive the long journey from factory to distribution centre to store to the plate. Meanwhile, capitalism has incentivized the food industry to prioritize profit margins over nutritional quality, often subsidizing unhealthy ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup because they are cheap and addictive.

One of the most compelling arguments favouring ultra-processed foods has been the promise of freeing us from the kitchen; the liberating time we’re told is better spent on more productive or enjoyable pursuits. Indeed, the average time spent on meal preparation has dropped significantly in the last 50 years. However, as ultra-processed foods have filled the void, we’ve inadvertently traded time for quality, and the cost has been an alarming rise in diet-related health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, testifying to the hidden expense of convenience.

The consequences of this shift spill over into the social and cultural realms. Meals have historically been an opportunity for communal engagement, an axis around which the social life of families and communities turns. In many ways, ultra-processed foods, designed to be eaten on the go or alone, undermine these social functions, fostering a more individualistic and less communitarian society.

Meanwhile, the environmental toll of ultra-processed foods can’t be ignored. The production of these foods is resource-intensive and wasteful, with excessive packaging contributing to our growing plastic crisis. The homogenization of the global diet has meant the decline of local food cultures and traditions and the agricultural biodiversity necessary for resilience against pests, diseases, and climate change.

The critique of ultra-processed foods is not without its counterpoint. For many, these products are economically and geographically more accessible than fresh, whole foods. Additionally, food technology has the potential to address food security issues and can lessen some of the burden on our over-taxed ecological systems. The challenge, then, is not to eliminate food processing but to find a balance where technology enhances nutrition and sustainability rather than undermines it.

In response to mounting public health concerns and growing consumer awareness, there is a burgeoning movement towards whole foods and transparency in food labelling. This pivot back to basics – foods with shorter ingredient lists, minimal processing, and clear provenance – is gaining momentum. Yet, it still clashes with the entrenched interests of the global food industry. The rise of ultra-processed foods is a symptom of broader societal trends, and reversing it will require a concerted effort at the level of policy, industry, and individual behaviour. Only by understanding and engaging with these complex factors can we hope to steer our food systems toward a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable path.

The Dearth of Nutrient-Dense Foods

In the Western diet, there is a prevailing lack of nutrient-dense foods, contributing to several health issues. This diet is often characterized by a high proportion of processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats while deficient in crucial nutrients. Nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants necessary for overall health and well-being.

One of the primary reasons for the lack of nutrient-dense foods in the Western diet is the prevalence of highly processed and convenience foods. These products often contain high levels of added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats while offering little in the way of essential nutrients. As a result, individuals consuming this diet may experience malnutrition despite consuming excess calories.

Another contributing factor is the widespread availability of fast food and high-calorie, low-nutrient meals. These options are often convenient and affordable, leading many individuals to rely on them as staples in their diets. Unfortunately, they typically lack essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, D, E, and K and essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Additionally, the Western diet tends to be low in fibre, an essential nutrient for digestive health. This can lead to issues such as constipation and an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

The lack of nutrient-dense foods in the Western diet has far-reaching consequences for public health, contributing to a rise in chronic diseases and nutritional deficiencies. Addressing this issue requires a concerted effort to promote education about the importance of nutrient-dense foods, improve access to fresh and wholesome food options, and advocate for policies that support healthier dietary choices. By raising awareness and making positive changes in food production, distribution, and consumer behaviour, it is possible to reverse the trend of nutrient-poor diets and improve the overall health of populations in the Western world.

The Seed Oil Hypothesis

One theory is that the rise in heart disease in Western civilized societies correlates closely with the increased use of processed seed oils. Correlation is not causation, but a smoking gun (pun intended) exists. It isn’t easy to imagine that our ancestors ate large quantities of seeds, certainly until the advent of large-scale agriculture, and hyper-processing them has only really been possible for the last 150 years.

The Macronutrient Myth

There is a wide range of diets in healthy populations worldwide. While research does seem to show that the people with the longest life expectancy are those with a highly varied diet (the so-called “blue zones” of the Mediterranean and Okinawa are good examples), correlation does not necessarily mean causality. Some confounding factors include non-nutrition lifestyle factors, climate, and the nature and availability of medical care. Other populations exhibit good health in terms of cardiovascular and diabetic metrics whose diets are much more limited. Some groups consume mostly yams (West Africa and Papua New Guinea), mostly meat (Inuit) and mostly milk and blood (Masai). All of these seem to be healthy diets because most individuals are in a state of good health and fitness compared to most Americans, despite their limited food choices and scarcity of healthcare.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it seems reasonable to assume that the prevalence of obesity, heart disease and diabetes (incidentally, most modern doctors agree that all three are related) in modern cultures results from the Standard American Diet. This diet is closely mirrored in Northern Europe, where the problems are almost as advanced. Ultra-processed food, including processed sugars and artificial sweeteners, are conspicuous by their absence in cultures with low rates of diet-related health problems, so they should be in ours. Those of us who do try to maintain a healthy diet regime would do well to stop obsessing about avocados and chia seeds, and make a concerted effort to eliminate all the processed products that are hiding in clever corners of our recipes, our eat-outs and our take-outs.