Ultra-Processed Foods Should Face Tobacco-Style Controls, Researchers Say

Researchers argue ultra-processed foods resemble cigarettes more than real food and need stricter regulation.
They say manufacturers design UPFs to encourage addiction and overconsumption.
The study came from teams at Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Duke University.
It was published in Milbank Quarterly on 3 February.
Authors compared UPF marketing to historic tobacco tactics that delayed regulation.
They called for limits on advertising, stronger oversight, and industry accountability.
Critics warned the comparison risks oversimplifying complex nutrition and health effects.