UPFs should also be heavily taxed due to impact on health and mortality, says scientist who coined term

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are displacing healthy diets “all over the world” despite growing evidence of the risks they pose and should be sold with tobacco-style warnings, according to the nutritional scientist who first coined the term.

Prof Carlos Monteiro of the University of São Paulo will highlight the increasing danger UPFs present to children and adults at the International Congress on Obesity this week.

“UPFs are increasing their share in and domination of global diets, despite the risk they represent to health in terms of increasing the risk of multiple chronic diseases,” Monteiro told the Guardian ahead of the conference in São Paulo.

  • danc4498@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    I think it would help. Often times all the items on the shelf look the same with the exception of price.

    You add a warning label on one item and the item next to it is $2 more and doesn’t have the warning, I am likely to buy the more expensive item.

    • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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      5 months ago

      That’s why they are advocating for a tax on those items as well. Makes them similarly priced to non-UPF options while also givign money to something useful like healthcare.

      • danc4498@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        I would love this too. But still I would love something official that would designate which items are the over processed ones.

        Though, the Supreme Court is about to make the FDA useless, so that won’t work soon.