People have been preparing food throughout history. Early humans roasted meat over flames. Indigenous Americans milled grains to make flour. In the Civil War era, factories preserved food in cans so troops could consume it while traveling. However, the significant transition to ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, occurred in the 19th century when large corporations began producing food made from chemicals rather than natural ingredients. Initially, the primary aim was to extend shelf life and speed up cooking.

From that point, corporations advanced further, packing their products with salts, sugars, fats, and additives crafted to stimulate the brain intensely than natural foods. Currently, The New York Times reveals that seventy percent of the food Americans purchase is ultraprocessed. This degree of reliance is damaging the nation’s health, increasing obesity rates, and offering people limited options.

UPFs damage Americans by stimulating the brain’s reward centers, rendering them addictive. The New York Post and The Medical Press liken UPFs to heroin and cocaine. That alone speaks volumes. We consume these items every day. They are crafted to ensure we return for more. Our society encourages us to follow our cravings, and corporations exploit that belief completely. They ought not to be allowed to create products that act like drugs. These foods activate pleasure-inducing chemicals in the brain as drugs do. It wouldn’t be an issue if they were nutritious. However, UPFs depend on large quantities of sugar, fat, and salt, combined with additives that reduce satiety, causing you to continue eating.

Ultra-processed foods are harming the health of Americans. Over the past six decades, obesity rates have tripled, and corporations won’t reduce production because the financial gains are enormous. Knowing these products are designed to be addictive, examine their ingredients. Even something as straightforward as an Oreo contains additives for texture, color, and taste. Individually, none of these is harmful. However, combine them with heaps of sugar, fat, and salt, and you get a dish that is incredibly unhealthy, delicious, and hard to stop consuming. The risk lies in the blend. Individually, each component wouldn’t have an effect. United, you could keep eating without end. And you still crave more.

It is common for people to claim “a small amount won’t cause harm” or note that some chemicals are harmless individually. This overlooks the issue. While the chemicals might not be dangerous on their own, they amplify foods that are already packed with sugar and fat, intensifying the craving. MSG, in food, illustrates this well. The problem isn’t the MSG. It’s what it amplifies.

We need better options. Food shouldn’t be engineered to be addictive. People should be encouraged to cook at home using ingredients they control. Keep companies open, but limit how much UPF fills our stores. When people buy real ingredients instead of packaged foods, they support farmers and cut the power of UPFs. America doesn’t need more addictive food. America needs a chance to be healthy.

Sources

• Callahan, Alice. “How America Got Hooked on Ultraprocessed Foods.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/16/well/eat/ultraprocessed-food-junk-history.html?searchResultPosition=16.
• Cordova, R., Kliemann, N., Huybrechts, I., Rauber, F., Vamos, E. P., Levy, R. B., et al. “Consumption of Ultra‑Processed Foods Associated with Weight Gain and Obesity in Adults: A Multi‑National Cohort Study.” Clinical Nutrition, published online 21 Aug. 2021, doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2021.08.009.
• Monteiro, Carlos A., et al. “Ultra-Processed Foods: Does the Concept Help Inform Dietary Guidelines?” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 116, no. 6, 2022, pp. 1482–1490, doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac234.
• “Ice Cream and Potato Chips Are Just as Addictive as Cocaine or Heroin: Research.” New York Post, 14 Oct. 2023, nypost.com/2023/10/14/ice-cream-and-potato-chips-are-just-as-addictive-as-cocaine-or-heroin-research/.
• Clanton, Nancy. “Study finds ice cream, potato chips may be as addictive as drugs.” Medical Xpress, 23 Oct. 2023, medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-ice-cream-potato-chips-addictive.html.
• “US obesity rates have tripled over the last 60 years.” USAFacts, 5 Nov. 2025, usafacts.org/articles/obesity-rate-nearly-triples-united-states-over-last-50-years/.