Why Are UPFs So Addictive? Inside Chris van Tulleken’s New Documentary

Dr Chris van Tulleken’s book Ultra-Processed People was one of the most talked about books of 2023, presenting an eye-opening – and terrifying – deep dive into the impact of UPFs. And now he’s back with a documentary: Irresistible – Why We Can’t Stop Eating, which airs tonight on BBC Two.

Irresistible – Why We Can’t Stop Eating: What To Expect

Over the past couple of years, there have been numerous scientific studies showcasing the risks of consuming too many ultra-processed foods. But despite this, our national addiction remains rife: in 2023, ultra-processed food made up 57 percent of the calories consumed by the average UK adult – and even more for children, at 65 percent. Brits are among some of the world’s biggest UPF eaters globally (beaten only by the US). So just why are we so hooked? Is it really our fault? And is it possible to change the future of food?

These questions lie at the heart of Irresistible – Why We Can’t Stop Eating, the BBC’s new documentary led by one of the world’s biggest experts on the topic, Dr Chris van Tulleken. He interviews former food industry insiders, who speak candidly about the lengths food companies go to in order to market their products.

For instance, we meet Professor Francis McGlone, who worked as a neuroscientist at Unilever – the parent behind brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Cornetto – and introduced MRI brain scanning to the company. They would use this data to develop ice-cream products which successfully lit up the brain’s internal reward system.

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An American food scientist called Howard Moskowitz, meanwhile, helped boost sales at Campbell’s Soup back in the 1970s with his ‘bliss point’ theory, used to describe the perfect balance of salt, fat and sugar which makes food irresistible – and encourages us to overeat. 

And those foods that melt in your mouth, like cheesy puff crisps? They’ve been engineered to make you feel like you’re consuming less calories than you are, a term known as ‘vanishing calorific density’. Pringles, meanwhile, are famously shaped to sit perfectly in your mouth, and the tubes are just the right size for your hand. ‘None of this is accidental,’ says van Tulleken.

The documentary also highlights links between the tobacco and food companies. ‘They aren’t just similar to food companies; for a long time they were the same companies,’ notes van Tulleken. ‘They used the flavour molecules from the cigarette labs, the marketing tools and the distribution networks to create an epidemic of UPF addiction just as they had done with cigarettes.’

What he aims to get across to viewers, then, is that we shouldn’t blame ourselves. ‘They have been gaslit by the food companies and that the food companies cannot be partners in change,’ he says. ‘And if someone is feeling ashamed or guilty because they are struggling with food they should know that it is not their fault – it is the food.’

Who Is Dr Chris van Tulleken?

Dr Chris van Tulleken is a British doctor and TV presenter. He grew up in London and trained in medicine at Oxford University, specialising in infectious disease and tropical medicine before getting a PhD in molecular virology. Alongside his work as an NHS infectious diseases doctor, van Tulleken presents a range of health and science programmes, including the BAFTA-winning Operation Ouch!, which he fronted with his twin brother Xand, who is also a doctor. In 2023, van Tulleken published a landmark book, Ultra Processed People, and he has since become an advocate for changing our food system.

How To Watch Irresistible – Why We Can’t Stop Eating

The documentary airs at 9pm on 25 November 2024 on BBC Two. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer. bbc.co.uk