What’s an Ultra-Processed Food? Ultra-processed foods = factory-made science projects. Additives, fake flavors, chemicals. Designed to taste AMAZING. But your body? It’s paying the price. “Unhealthy food” and ultra-processed food (UPF) overlap, but they’re not the same thing.

UPFs go way beyond just unhealthy (homemade cake made out of sugar and butter is not healthy but it's not upf). UPFs are made in factories with industrial formulations: emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, preservatives, colourings, stabilisers. They hit you with that bliss point!

Why processing is the problem: Addictive by design so your brain craves more before you’re done Engineered textures so you eat faster and more Empty calories so low fiber, no real nutrition Metabolic chaos so hormones and insulin go haywire

Ever wonder why u can demolish a bag of crisps or a whole box of cookies but don't fancy finishing a broccoli? UPFs are engineered to hijack your brain’s reward system. They melt in your mouth quickly, so your brain gets a fast dopamine hit and they keep you chasing that high.

Short-term damage? Just 5 days of UPF b!ng!ng can mess with your brain’s insulin response + start fattening your liver. FIVE. DAYS. In the study, the liver fat increased (even though body weight hadn’t changed much). (based on a controlled study in Nature Metabolism (2025)).

Why does it matter to us on twt? Nutrient quality changes the hormonal response 100 calories of salmon vs Twinkies: Salmon = protein, healthy fats → triggers satiety hormones, keeps insulin stable. Twinkie = UPF → blood sugar spikes, insulin surges, then crashes → cravings

The “TOFI” Phenomenon — Th!n Outside, Fat Inside. Some people stay slim outside but accumulate visceral fat around organs (liver, pancreas, heart). UPFs are notorious for causing this because they promote fat storage inside the belly, not just under the skin.

Why UPFs supercharge the problem Soft textures & liquid calories → easy to overeat without noticing. Lack of fiber/protein → no satiety. Additives & hyper-palatability → keep you eating more than you need. Result: You may not gain visible weight, but fat is quietly packing.

How to dodge the UPF trap: Read labels. If the ingredient list looks like a chemistry experiment, put it back. Stick to real food your grandma would recognise lol. Download the Yuka app and scan barcodes, and it’ll rate foods so you know what’s actually in them.

@shutupandstarv food addiction caused by UPFs isn’t talked about enough. for me, even just having a small amount of them “as a treat” can trigger a b/p cycle lasting weeks or months. i know many will disagree with me, but cutting out UPFs is (almost always) necessary for quitting binge eating

@DrChristianED Agreed! I can handle upf drinks like monster and they don’t trigger me but any upf food makes me go outside of what I want to eat like

@shutupandstarv woww i never realized but do protein snacks like quest bars count are UPF's?

@Hiheejinie I believe they are considered UPFs yes :) not every protein bar is upf though. It depends on how and with what they’re made https://www.mensjournal.com/fo...

@shutupandstarv this was an amazing post and so easy to understand 🫶🏼🫶🏼tyyy. Now i have a question; how do i stop having cravings for these easy foods, like craving chips everyday.. i fit it in my daily calorie intake but it doesnt do much other than satisfy my brain, how do i revert this?

@frymiku Maybe try including some upf free snacks with your upf ones for now, slowly decreasing upf content. Example - regular cookie with some fruit on the side and dark chocolate. Drastic changes are hard to make but slowly you can change your habits

@shutupandstarv are there any real desserts (besides fruit) that aren’t UPF? i have been reading labels for chocolate and i cant find a single one that isnt filled with addicting chemicals, even the no sugar ones :(

@ahfjej04 Try baby food aisle I find some biscuits there sometimes that are pretty good. In terms of chocolate i would just stick with plain dark chocolate. I make my own cookies often - with oats etc :)

@shutupandstarv have u read ultra processed people? its great

@ladiimic Yesss my favourite boook!!!

@shutupandstarv this is soooo good <3 could you possibly make a thread of most popular / accessible upfs to avoid?

@ldrdiet Definitely can do! 🫶🏻

@shutupandstarv is there a way to moderately eat ufps?

@nymphile Hmm yea you can make a choice to eat 80% clean and 20% less restrictively :) I think any attempt to eat less upf will benefit you. I struggle to eat small amounts of upf tho as it triggers me to eat more of them and then I end up feeling unhealthy

@shutupandstarv why are we censoring the words ortho? its the name of an eating disorder 😭

@sammiofedtwt Because I keep getting reported and muted so gotta censor everything

@shutupandstarv this!! i’m not ortho but i changed my diet to avoid UPF’s as much as humanly possible and i actually stay fuller for longer and feel wayyyy more energetic

@Maebelle2002 Yesss that’s amazing 🫶🏻

@shutupandstarv it’s a hard transition to make- I remember realizing how addicted I was to UPFs and I am so much happier with only having them on occasion nowadays.

@rageboness It’s not easy to stop but well done for trying!!! 🫶🏻

@shutupandstarv i love informative ortho threads tysm !

@skinnizuccini Same! Thank you🫶🏻

@shutupandstarv chaewon serving face the whole thread iktr

@iams0verylonely She’s genuinely the prettiest girl in the world ❤️

@shutupandstarv ilysm. ur like the best person ever for this

@CKaneer308 Hope it’s helpful 🫶🏻