Masters of Health Magazine March 2025 | Page 87

Imagine a teenager so hooked on processed foods that their health takes a serious nosedive. This isn’t a fictional story, but the basis of a lawsuit against major food manufacturers. The lawsuit claims that the teen’s struggles with Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and other health problems are a direct result of consuming excessive amounts of ultraprocessed foods.

This case raises important questions for all: could your favorite snacks be harming your health? Are you truly aware of what you’re eating? When you explore the world of ultraprocessed foods, their many health risks become apparent. Understanding these risks empowers you to make informed choices for a healthier lifestyle. Because when it comes to your well-being and the well-being of your family, knowledge is power.

A teenager from Warrington, Pennsylvania, is taking on some of the biggest names in the food industry. Bryce Martinez, 18, filed a lawsuit against 11 major food manufacturers, claiming their ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are engineered to be as addictive as cigarettes and caused him to develop serious health problems.1

Martinez alleges that these companies engaged in “predatory profiteering,” deliberately designing and marketing harmful foods to children without warning the public about the dangers.2 This lawsuit, described as the “first of its kind,” has been two years in the making and could have major implications for the food industry and consumers alike.3

Martinez’s lawyer, Rene F. Rocha, believes this case is an important step toward holding food companies accountable for the harm their products cause.4 He points out that diseases like those Martinez developed were virtually nonexistent in children before the rise of ultraprocessed foods.5

The lawsuit presents evidence from scientific studies showing a direct correlation between the increased availability of these foods and the skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity and other related diseases.6

Rocha emphasizes the urgency of the situation, stating, “The scientific consensus that’s emerging is saying there’s something uniquely harmful about these products and the way that they’re marketed to children that needs to stop. Because the science is clear, it’s a time for taking action.”7

The lawsuit defines UPFs as “industrially produced edible substances that are imitations of food.”8 These are essentially former foods that have been broken down into their basic components, chemically modified, combined with additives, and then reassembled using industrial techniques like molding, extrusion and pressurization, the lawsuit explains.9

Think of those convenient, ready-to-eat snacks, meals, and drinks that are loaded with refined ingredients, added sugars, unhealthy fats, including seeds oils high in linoleic acid (LA), and artificial additives. These are a far cry from minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which undergo minimal alterations before we consume them.

The lawsuit argues that UPFs are “alien to prior human experience,” inventions of modern industrial technology that contain little to no whole food.10 It highlights the dramatic increase in the prevalence of these foods since the 1980s, coinciding with a surge in obesity, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.11

Speaking with Children’s Health Defense, Dr. Michelle Perro, a pediatrician and author, argued that the food industry employs neuroscientists to design these foods with a precise combination of fats, salt, sugar and flavor enhancers to make them highly addictive, particularly for young people.12

She points to studies like the NutriNet-Santé study,13 which found a strong link between diets high in ultraprocessed foods and an increased risk of various health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.14

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