I’m not even sure that it’s a particularly new concept is it?!
The word ‘ultra-processed’ might be, but the concept of pre packaged ready meals crammed full of additives, sugar and sweetners not being good for you is something which the majority of people thought was the case anyway?
I mean, the idea that if you have a floret of broccoli with the various nutrients contained within that, and then cook it, cover it in additives, mix it with sugar, cook it with 15-20 other ingredients, package it and put it on a shelf with ingredients that somehow allow that broccoli to remain edible for months, that through that process that broccoli has probably lost most if not all of the nutrients that it once had, is that something that people needed a book to tell them was the case?
I haven’t read the book noted on this thread and I doubt I will, but having watched a few YouTube videos on the subject the basic idea is that a lot of ultra processed food contains ingredients which makes you want to eat more of it whilst lacking much by way of nutritional content or satiating ingredients, meaning you can quickly consume large amounts of calories and then feel hungry again far quicker than had you consumed a similar number of calories with something like, say, a chicken breast and salad, hence why it’s contributing to an obesity epidemic. If you then add into that the large quantities of sugar then you have insulin blood sugar spikes, diabetes etc.
The advice that I’ve read and listened to is mostly to try to cut down on ultra processed foods by cooking with whole ingredients, to focus more on the quality of your food than the number of calories within it and to get a broad range of different plants in your diet. It’s hardly ground breaking stuff i didn’t think but it has lead me to make some better choices (or at least what I perceive to be better choices,) for example Greek yoghurt and grapefruit for breakfast rather than a cheese toastie - higher levels of protein, feel full up for longer and lower in sugar than you would get from shop bought bread. I’ve lost over 2 stone this year and it certainly isn’t all from the above changes but they’ve certainly helped; the main thing being I’ve lost that amount of weight without ever feeling overly hungry or deprived of anything, which I assume comes from the large amounts of protein in my food.