This Food is ‘Worse Than Smoking’, Doctor Warns

In a warning that has sparked global discussion, NHS doctor and University College London associate professor Dr Chris van Tulleken has raised concerns that modern diets dominated by ultra-processed foods may be doing damage comparable to smoking, and in some cases may even be contributing to a greater share of early deaths worldwide.

Speaking in widely reported podcast discussion in the Youtube channel The Diary of a CEO, the doctor suggested that ultra-processed foods, commonly found in everyday shopping baskets, are not just unhealthy but may represent what he describes as a “pandemic of diet-related disease,” driven by industrial food systems that have reshaped what millions of people consume daily. His core argument is not that food and cigarettes are identical, but that the scale of health harm linked to ultra-processed diets is now so significant that it demands similar public health attention.

The focus of the warning is a category of food known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are industrially manufactured products that often contain additives, preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial flavourings, and stabilisers that are not typically used in home cooking.

According to health reporting based on the doctor’s statements, common examples of these foods include sugary soft drinks, packaged breakfast cereals, chips, processed meats such as sausages and cured products, instant noodles, frozen ready meals, and mass-produced snacks and biscuits. The concern raised is that these foods are engineered for taste, shelf life, and convenience, but may also encourage overconsumption while delivering high levels of salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats that are strongly linked to long-term chronic disease risk.

The comparison to smoking comes from growing evidence discussed by researchers studying diet-related disease patterns worldwide. Dr van Tulleken has stated in interviews that ultra-processed foods may now be associated with a major share of premature deaths globally, arguing that their impact is becoming comparable in scale to tobacco in earlier decades.

Scientific studies referenced in reporting have linked high consumption of ultra-processed foods with increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. While experts caution that the mechanisms are complex and still under study, there is broad agreement that diets high in these foods correlate strongly with poorer long-term health outcomes. Importantly, researchers emphasise that this does not mean every processed food is dangerous, but rather that frequent and heavy reliance on highly engineered products appears to significantly increase health risks over time.

One of the strongest points raised by health experts is that ultra-processed foods are designed in a way that can make them difficult to regulate in everyday diets. Their combination of refined ingredients, flavour enhancers, and long shelf life often leads to higher calorie intake without the feeling of fullness associated with whole foods.

Doctors highlight that many people are unaware of how much of their daily intake comes from these products, especially since even items marketed as “healthy” can sometimes fall into ultra-processed categories depending on their ingredients. This creates what researchers describe as a modern dietary shift, where traditional home-cooked meals are increasingly replaced by factory-made alternatives that are convenient but nutritionally imbalanced when consumed regularly.

Despite the alarming comparisons, medical experts stress that the goal is not panic, but awareness and balance. The emphasis is on shifting dietary patterns away from heavily processed products and toward whole foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and minimally processed proteins. The key message from health professionals is that small, consistent changes in diet composition can significantly reduce long-term health risks, even if ultra-processed foods are not eliminated completely.

While the claim that ultra-processed foods are “worse than smoking” is often used in headlines for impact, scientists continue to debate the exact scale of comparison. Smoking has a directly proven causal link to disease, while research on ultra-processed foods is still building long-term causal frameworks. However, what is not in dispute is that diet-related illnesses are rising globally, and ultra-processed foods are a major contributing factor being closely studied by researchers worldwide.

As Dr van Tulleken and other experts emphasise, the real concern is not a dramatic comparison, but a growing recognition that modern food systems may be one of the most significant public health challenges of this generation.

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