“Ultra-processed foods have been progressively tailored by scientists and technicians … to bypass our natural mechanisms of appetite control,” writes Senior Social Justice Advocate Mark Zirnsak.
By Mark Zirnsak
In his work ‘A Public Faith. How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good’ (2011), theologian Miroslav Wolf made the case that if we believe God is love and we are created for love, we will care for our neighbours’ wellbeing for their own sake.
“Our concern will then be not just to lead life well ourselves. Instead, we will strive for life to go well for our neighbours and for them to lead their lives well, and we will acknowledge that their flourishing is tied deeply to our flourishing,” Wolf wrote.
Such care for others should extend to the food we share.
Multinational food corporations are making it harder for us to eat healthy diets.
We often become unwitting agents in sharing unhealthy foods with those we love.
The food corporations are producing unhealthy and addictive food products that drive up unhealthy food consumption.
The foods in question cause a range of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes and obesity.
These foods fall into a category known as ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods are those that contain additives that you would not find in your kitchen, such as artificial colouring, emulsifiers, thickening agents, preservatives and a host of other chemicals represented by numbers on the ingredients list on the packaging.
Ultra-processed foods have been progressively tailored by scientists and technicians through combinations of sugar, salt, fat and flavour enhancers to bypass our natural mechanisms of appetite control.
The food corporations then employ psychologists and neuroscientists to unlock marketing techniques that target our weaknesses.
After spending billions overriding our self-control, the food corporations and their commercial media allies blame us for failing to exercise it.
The result has been there is not a country in the world where obesity rates are not increasing.
Research released in March 2023 indicated that more than half the global population will be living with being overweight or obese within 12 years if prevention, treatment and support do not improve.
Around two in three Australian adults, and one in four children are overweight or obese.
Most Australians do not eat a healthy diet, with less than 1 per cent of the population eating in accordance with Australian Dietary Guidelines recommendations and less than one in 10 eating the recommended serves of vegetables.
Many Australians are experiencing poor health as a result.
The food corporations also target our children and grandchildren with marketing to encourage them to consume more unhealthy foods.
Research conducted by Deakin University found that children as young as eight were being bombarded with ads for unhealthy foods, including when they are on social media and playing online games.
On average, children aged eight to 13 were targeted with approximately 13 unhealthy food ads on a typical day they spend online.
Teenagers aged 14 to 17 see 24 unhealthy food ads every day.
Many ads targeted at children and young people were interactive. For example, ads prompted them to order immediately for confectionery and unhealthy takeaway foods.
The Synod Justice and International Mission Cluster has joined the Food for Health Alliance (https://www.foodforhealthalliance.org.au/) made up of public health bodies.
Together, we are campaigning for our governments to do more to make choosing healthy food easier.
That includes ending unhealthy food advertising that targets children.
We have issued a postcard campaign on the issue, and action can also be taken on the Cancer Council Food Fight! website
To learn more about ultra-processed foods, Associate Professor Chris van Tulleken’s 2023 book ‘Ultra-Processed People’ is a highly accessible and comprehensive introduction.
Associate Professor van Tulleken also has a load of videos of various lengths online, that you could access to include in a church service.
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