Ultra-processed foods have a bad reputation, but is it fully justified?
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Common dietary advice encourages us to eat whole foods and avoid processed ones. But that is easier said than done given there is no clear understanding of what makes a food ultra-processed or how, if at all, these foods impact our health. Broadly labelling ultra-processed foods as bad could not only lead us to overlook other potential factors contributing to obesity, but may create a whole new set of unintended health consequences.
For decades, public health experts have raised alarms …
