Health3 min(s) read
Published 14:33 24 Mar 2026 GMT
Doctor issues urgent warning over food 'worse than smoking' which is causing people to have an early death
A doctor has revealed which type of food can contribute to an early death - and he claims they are even more harmful to the body than smoking.
Living a long and healthy life is usually pretty important to most people, and some of the bad habits that can shorten it - such as smoking - are pretty well known.
However, Dr. Chris van Tulleken has revealed that one common issue with many people's diets can be far worse for you than most people realize.
The hidden killer, which is slowly damaging people's bodies and potentially contributing to disease and earlier deaths is something many people consume on a daily basis and which are creating "a pandemic of diet-related disease that has taken over the world".
According to van Tulleken, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have "overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of early death on planet Earth".
What are UPFs?
Ultra-processed foods are those typically made up of five or more ingredients including substances which aren't used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colors.
These foods are known for their "addictive" nature, and are often high in fat, salt, and sugar, and low in nutrients.
They include things like fizzy drinks, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, chips, nuggets, instant noodles, and many more.
Why are UPFs bad for you?
Research has previously linked UPFs to the alarming rise in colorectal cancer in patients under 50, due to the increase in prevalence of these items in modern diets.
They can also be linked to several other health issues, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
A 2024 study from the National Library of Medicine found: "High UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases and mental health disorders.
"At present, not a single study reported an association between UPF intake and a beneficial health outcome. These findings suggest that dietary patterns with low consumption of UPFs may render broad public health benefits."
According to van Tulleken, rather than classifying UPFs as food, they should instead be considered "industrially processed edible substances".
He said during an appearance on Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast: "There is a decade of evidence now that is extremely clear that it is ultra-processed food that is responsible, not just for pandemic weight gain and obesity, but also for a long list of other health problems, including early death."
He admitted: "I'm always on the brink of weight gain and I recognised in myself that I lived with an addiction to ultra-processed foods."
van Tulleken believes that UPFs should be treated like smoking as they can be just as hard to quit, explaining: "Treating it as an addictive substance may be really useful for some people."
He advised being more mindful of what you're consuming, explaining: "Don't forbid this stuff. Let yourself wallow in it and read the ingredients list while you eat.
"You'll realise all the food has the same flavour profile. It's equally salty and sugary and sweet. It's all acidic. And you will gradually become disgusted."