Burlington author Richard Fast draws parallel between ultra-processed foods and Big Tobacco - Hamilton Spectator

The holidays can be a time of indulgence, full of festive get-togethers, buffet meals and sweet treats. Inevitably, that can lead to a time of restraint, crash dieting, and a struggle to fulfil New Year’s resolutions for healthier living.

But what if you could eat more food, not less, this holiday season, and still lose weight?

Richard Fast, a certified trainer, weight management specialist, health and wellness coach and author, explores that possibility in "Obesity Cause & Cure."

Fast, a Burlington resident, has been writing about health and fitness for more than a decade. About two years ago, he started delving deeper into the root cause of obesity.

Fast uncovered a direct rise in obesity in the U.S. around 1975. The biggest culprit, he believes, is ultra-processed food.

He compares food containing chemicals like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium phosphate, and spice extracts, to name just a few, to the dangers of Big Tobacco. Fast said food companies, motivated by profit, set their sights on a “Bliss Point,” an ideal blend of salt, sugar and fat, when formulating their ultra-processed offerings.

“I would say that as a population as a whole, we’re probably where we were in the late 50s to early 60s in regard to tobacco,” Fast said in an interview with Hamilton Community News.

Tobacco clearly causes serious physical health issues, Fast acknowledged. But those who ask, “How bad could it be?” when thinking of ultra-processed food, should prepare for an awakening, Fast predicts.

“This ultra-processed food, it affects us cognitively; it affects us physically, emotionally. It’s much of the root cause of anxiety and depression. It goes so much deeper. And the more I started uncovering this, I thought, ‘This is insane.’”

In "Obesity Cause & Cure," Fast asserts North American obesity rates have risen because people are over fed but under nourished.

“Ultra-processed food is actually far worse and far more dangerous than tobacco,” Fast said.

Fast’s book examines the 2021 BBC documentary, “What are we feeding our kids?”

The program follows Dr. Chris van Tulleken, who conducted a self-experiment whereby he reversed his normal diet of 20 per cent ultra-processed foods and 80 per cent regular food, the other way around.

Shifting to an 80 per cent ultra-processed diet for 28 days, van Tulleken consumed items like frozen pizza, fried chicken, fast food, TV dinners and microwave food.

Over the 28 days, van Tulleken gained 15 pounds, including seven pounds of pure visceral fat, and his hormones changed, Fast noted.

“Hormones that make you feel hungry went up and the hormones that make you feel full went down,” said Fast.

Overall, said Fast, the food, fitness and diet industries tend to overemphasize fat and calories, while downplaying the effects of ultra-processed food.

Fast said consumers should ask themselves: “Am I eating calories or am I eating nutrients? The answer to that question will determine your health.”

In Obesity Cause & Cure, Fast asserts more than half the calories we consume come from food that isn’t really food.

“They’re ultra-processed concoctions that contain starch, sugar, salt, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and additives, lots of additives,” he said. “Compared to real food, they have three times the amount of free sugar, twice as much sodium, far more calories and little fibre, minerals and vitamins.”

Fast said ultra-processed foods now make up more than half of the calories consumed in the U.K., U.S., and Canada.

Fast’s book includes a passage on the Brazilian food guide, which he praises for its emphasis on the assertion that healthy eating is determined by the degree that one avoids eating ultra-processed foods.

Fast offers healthy living and recipe tips from his wife, Michele, on his website: richardfast.com. Current recipes, include homemade pizza, hamburgers, natural chicken stock, natural salad dressing, baked chicken wings and more.

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Burlington author Richard Fast draws parallel between ultra-processed foods and Big Tobacco - Hamilton Spectator
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