Linking To And Embedding Dr. Nick Norwitz’s “This Will Change Your Mind on Ultra-Processed Foods (Harvard MD PhDs Discuss)”

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Tom Wade MD

Today, I review, link to, and embed Dr. Nick Norwitz‘s This Will Change Your Mind on Ultra-Processed Foods (Harvard MD PhDs Discuss).

All that follows is from the above resource.

This Will Change Your Mind on Ultra-Processed Foods (Harvard MD PhDs Discuss) 

Nick Norwitz

Sep 17, 2025 #ultraprocessedfoods #scientificdebate #obesity
Today’s guest is David Ludwig, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist, pediatrician, and international thought leader in obesity medicine and metabolic health. He’s also a treasured mentor of mine from my time at Harvard Medical School. In this episode, we discuss his new paper in the New England Journal of Medicine on ultra-processed foods and why “simple” is the enemy of metabolic health. We explore the science of nutrition, weight loss, and food quality, challenging conventional wisdom about diet and metabolism. If you’re courageous enough to listen all the way through, this conversation will expand your perspective, change the way you think about food, and inspire a healthier relationship with eating.
New England Journal of Medicine Article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056…
David Ludwig MD PhD’s Medium Blog (No Paywall):   / ultra-processed-food-retold-by-hc-andersen  
Chapters
0:00 – Meet Harvard Endocrinologist David Ludwig MD PhD 1:27 – New England Journal of Medicine Paper on Ultra-Processed Foods
4:12 – Food Processing Categories & The Problem Explained 6:17 – Why “Ultra-Processed” Is Too Imprecise for Nutrition Policy
7:25 – UPF Debate: Misleading Definitions & Obesity Research 10:12 – Not All Processing Is Equal: Olive Oil vs Orange Juice 11:37 – Another Example: Sardines vs Maple Syrup in the NOVA System
13:16 – Problems in Ultra-Processed Foods Research & Literature
15:30 – Methodology Flaws in UPF Clinical Trials
16:56 – The “Vampire Diet” Analogy & Obesity Solutions
19:40 – Why “Hyperpalatable Foods” Is a Misleading Concept 23:33 – The Milkshake Study: A Blinded Controlled Trial
27:13 – Why Overeating Doesn’t Cause Obesity
30:10 – Ultra-Processed Foods as Problematic Public Health Marketing
33:00 – Short-Term Diet Studies: Vanishing Effects on Weight Loss
34:20 – Misleading Evidence: Calorie Intake vs Obesity Myths 39:10 – Uncoupling Calorie Intake and Fat Gain
41:47 – The Challenge of Critical Thinking in Nutrition Science 43:30 – Harvard Professor David Ludwig’s Key Takeaway

 

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