Ultra-Processed People

Ultra-Processed People: Why Do We All Eat Stuff That Isn't Food... and Why Can't We Stop? is a 2023 non-fiction book by the British doctor Chris van Tulleken. It was published by Cornerstone Press in 2023. A paperback edition was published in 2024 by Penguin Books, with an extra chapter. It discusses ultra-processed food (UPF) and its effects on human health.

Van Tulleken combines anecdotes and personal stories with science through studies and his own experience as a physician specialising in infection and immunity. Topics include the origins of UPF, their economics and their impact. He asserts that UPF is a greater cause of weight gain than sugar or a lack of exercise, and describes psychological and physiological effects of UPF on the human body. He draws from conversations with scientists and experts within the food industry, and calls attention to the failure to rigorously state conflicts of interest in scientific papers regarding food, nutrition and their industries.

Van Tulleken also describes his own experience of living for an extended period on a diet of 80% UPF, with before and after measurements.