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Processed Foods and Food Addiction
In the very recent past, we have seen a study confirming what many of us already suspected. Processed foods lead to higher calorie consumption. The study revealed that people eating ultra-processed foods will consume more calories than those eating unprocessed foods.
The researchers also admit to this other issue:
”Ultra-processed foods contribute to more than half the calories consumed in the USA, and they are cheap and convenient options,” Hall commented to MNT.
”So, I think it may be difficult to substantially reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods,” he continued, “especially for people in lower socioeconomic brackets who may not have the time, skill, equipment, or resources to purchase and safely store unprocessed food ingredients and then plan and safely prepare tasty, unprocessed meals.”
In the paper, Hall concludes, “However, policies that discourage consumption of ultra-processed foods should be sensitive to the time, skill, expense, and effort required to prepare meals from minimally processed foods — resources that are often in short supply for those who are not members of the upper socioeconomic classes.”
Many people do not have the skills or facilities to cook. It requires more than just a microwave, and you need time. Cooking is a critical skill that we rarely…