Processing transforms food in ways that reduce nutrition and defeat satiety. Research by Hall at NIH found participants spontaneously ate 500 more calories per day on ultra-processed foods versus whole foods matched for nutrients. Fiber is stripped, structure destroyed, water removed, then sugar-salt-fat added. The result: calorie-dense, nutrient-poor products that don’t fill you up.
This companion covers what processing does, the controlled study, and why processed food drives overconsumption. (4 min read)