The global consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs)—which include soft drinks, snacks, and ready-made meals—is on the rise, despite clear evidence of their adverse health effects. This trend presents a growing concern as these foods dominate supermarket shelves, comprising approximately 70% of packaged products available in grocery stores and an even larger percentage in convenience markets.
In recent research, we delve into the strategies employed by companies that manufacture these foods, examining how they harness human psychology to make UPFs appear as the most appealing, convenient, and cost-effective choice. Our findings reveal that UPFs are intentionally crafted to stimulate cravings and encourage higher consumption. They are marketed to various demographics, particularly children, in a manner that suggests they offer superior taste and convenience, despite significant health risks. This allure is not accidental; it is the result of a multitude of tactics that exploit human behavior and cognition.
Why do we keep eating UPFs?
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UPFs are the most highly processed food products available. As noted in the medical journal The Lancet, these are commercial creations made primarily from inexpensive ingredients extracted from whole foods, supplemented with various additives, and often containing little to no actual whole food in the final product. These foods are heavily branded and mass-produced by large, multinational corporations.
Despite the known health risks associated with high UPF consumption—such as increased likelihood of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, chronic kidney disease, depression, and even premature death—people continue to favor them. Our research seeks to uncover the reasons behind this paradox by analyzing the systemic factors involved in the creation, production, and marketing of UPFs, along with their interplay with human nature.
We reviewed over a decade of published studies focusing on food science and UPF marketing, collaborating with field experts to create system diagrams that illustrate these dynamics. These diagrams, known as “causal loop diagrams,” reveal reinforcing feedback loops that propel the system toward its ultimate aim: increasing UPF sales. Our findings show that this system is an intricate web of interconnected loops that integrate aspects of human behavior and biology.
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Products designed for maximum consumption
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One critical feedback loop involves the strategic combination of addictive ingredients, particularly refined carbohydrates and fats. Biologically, these components trigger distinct reward pathways between the gut and brain, and when consumed together, they can become addictive.
Manufacturers can adjust these ingredients to find the optimal “sweet spots” that maximize pleasure and craving responses while minimizing any negative effects. Additionally, various processing techniques can dull the body’s natural signals of satiety or accelerate digestion, creating a fleeting sense of reward that drives a desire for more food at a faster rate.
UPF marketing strategies
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From a marketing perspective, UPFs are designed for ease of storage and consumption, appealing to consumers’ desire for perceived value.
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Promotional strategies are employed to capture attention and fulfill desires, often creating an illusion of healthiness, particularly for products aimed at children, which leverage associations with popular culture and notions of fun and excitement.
Moreover, corporations gather extensive data on consumer purchasing behaviors and online habits to facilitate targeted digital marketing on social media, enhancing the likelihood of purchases and contributing to further data collection and refinement of their promotional tactics. Overall, we identified 11 distinct reinforcing feedback loops, marking our research as the first to illustrate this web as an integral part of the UPF system, effectively ensnaring consumers and leading them to choose these foods over healthier alternatives.
This system at the product level is also interconnected with feedback loops at higher levels of the supply chain related to economic and financial factors in the global UPF industry.
This issue is particularly significant, considering that unhealthy diets and excessive body weight are responsible for 18% of preventable premature deaths and disabilities in New Zealand, a factor closely linked to UPF consumption. Alarmingly, New Zealand has not conducted national nutrition surveys since the 2000s, so we rely on data from comparable countries like Australia to estimate that UPFs constitute about half of our energy intake.
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What can be done about it?
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The prevalence of high-UPF diets cannot be attributed solely to individual choices or lack of willpower; they are the outcome of a deliberately crafted system.
Our research sheds light on how the UPF system particularly targets vulnerable populations, especially children. International experts have identified UPFs as a significant global health issue, advocating for strong government policies to regulate these products and mitigate the effects of these manipulative mechanisms.
Countries in Latin America have already implemented effective policies, including taxes on UPFs and sugary beverages, restrictions on advertising aimed at children, and initiatives for clear front-of-pack labeling and transparency in governmental lobbying. New Zealand could take note from these examples to establish similar regulations.
Inaction is not an option. There is a pressing need to reform the food system to ensure it supports and nourishes current and future generations.
