[TillE]

There's obviously nothing inherently evil about "processing". If you put some fruit in a blender you've made no significant changes to its nutritional value.

The terminology is so annoying because it's hopelessly vague to the layperson. The actual research I've seen generally finds that the problem with "ultra processed" commercial foods are the usual familiar villains: salt, sugar, saturated fat.

[azinman2]

Having put fruit in a blender you are changing how it’ll get absorbed, because the blender did the breaking down versus your body. You probably changed how nature of the fiber in the fruit.

[soco]

Also blending means no more chewing, aka less saliva to help breaking down things. Most blenders warm up the mix because yeah high speed, which means less vitamin as well. And there may be more aspects, I'm no nutritionist...

[93po]

also means you eat a lot faster and therefore probably more

[tarboreus]

This is true. Also, when was the last time you sat down and ate five oranges? Processing changes what you eat. Oranges are pretty good for you, orange juice often is not.

[nprateem]

I read something saying blending in industrial food production affects absorption into the body which is thought to cause some of tut negative effects. So yes, the industrial production methods are also implicated.

[Pikamander2]

It's a great example of correlation vs causation.

"Processed" or "ultra-processed" foods are often unhealthy, but they're not inherently unhealthy. What matters more than anything is the specific ingredients in them, like how much salt/sugar has been used to alter their taste or keep them preserved.

[mfer]

Consider the goal of these things. It's not to be scientific. It's to lead people make healthier choices and to lead decision makes to guide for healthier outcomes. Most people don't read labels. They don't even read articles. They see headlines.

"Ultra processed" is headline friendly and can steer people away from things.

This is health marketing for the masses.

[crmd]

This meme, that the average American is stupid and needs to be told what to do about everything, is patronizing and needs to die.

The average 50th percentile IQ person has a finely tuned bullshit detector. When they sense they're being lead by an author or speaker toward making a certain decision, or feeling a certain way about the set of facts surrounding a current event, it makes them lose trust in the speaker, writer, and the institution they represent.

People have everyday experience with this, for example the moment they realize the person in front of them is shamelessly trying to sell them a car, timeshare, etc. and likely does not have their best interests in mind. You immediately stop believing a word this person is saying. Contrast this with, say, the guy behind the counter at your favorite hardware store who you trust is trying to get you the right solution for your needs.

The problem is when the speaker is an SME in a public service role. Trust in media, government, scientists, the academy, is low for good reason and it's causing huge problems in American society.

Most people are, in fact, not stupid. If you educate them on the facts, don't project false confidence about subjective or uncertain things, and basically talk to them like adults, we will have a more educated society with way more trust and tolerance for evolving science.

[marky1991]

If 'healthier choices' isn't based on science, what is it based on?

Why should someone believe you if it isn't based on science?

Many people (myself included) read health headlines, read that everything is causing cancer, that everything is simultaneously bad/good for you, and just tune this out altogether.

I just rely on normal intuition 'maintain a healthy calorie budget and keep greasy foods to a reasonable level' and treat all other nutrition advice as superstition, hearsay, and noise.

[Scarblac]

There is this paper, "Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake", Hall ea 2019 : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S155041311...

They tried to control for all that, the same amount of sugar, fat, calories etc.

And yet people ate more of the ultra-processed food.