Brits say ultra‑processed foods are “too good to quit”

New research suggests Britain may be in a long‑term relationship with ultra‑processed foods (UPFs) — and it’s complicated.

According to a new survey from healthy‑eating app Lifesum, nine in ten adults believe UPFs are deliberately engineered to be irresistible, while nearly half say it’s time to regulate them like tobacco or alcohol. Yes, Britain has officially entered its “it’s not me, it’s the food environment” era.

The nationally representative study of 2,000 adults paints a picture many of us will recognise: a cycle of cravings, over‑snacking, and the kind of regret usually reserved for Sunday mornings and online shopping sprees.

More than four in five people say they’ve felt unable to stop eating certain UPFs once they start — which will surprise absolutely no one who has ever opened a family‑size bag of crisps “just to have a few”. Two‑thirds have tried (and failed) to cut back, and 80% say they feel regret afterwards.

The foods Brits find hardest to resist read like the greatest hits of the snack aisle: crisps, chocolate, biscuits, pizza, ice cream, sugary cereals, ready meals, fizzy drinks, packaged cakes and pastries, and chicken nuggets. In other words: everything that tastes amazing when you’re tired, stressed, or simply alive.

Marcus Gners, co‑founder at Lifesum, says the findings reflect a shift in how people understand their own eating habits. “Consumers are increasingly aware that modern food environments are highly engineered,” he explains. “People no longer see ultra‑processed foods as simply a matter of willpower, but as part of a broader system shaping appetite and behaviour.”

The study also reveals growing public appetite for stronger oversight. A whopping 81% support clearer warning labels, 59% want restrictions on marketing, and nearly half back tobacco‑style regulation.

This comes as scientific scrutiny intensifies. Researchers from Harvard, Michigan and Duke have argued that UPFs share similarities with cigarettes — from engineered reward pathways to marketing strategies designed to keep consumers coming back for more. Whether or not UPFs ever get their own “plain packaging moment”, the public mood is clearly shifting.UPFs currently make up around 57% of the UK’s calorie intake, according to BMJ Open analysis — so any change in public sentiment is more than a passing trend. For manufacturers, the message is clear: consumers are no longer blaming themselves; they’re looking at the system.

That means:

• Transparency is no longer optional — people want to know what’s in their food and why it’s formulated that way.
• Reformulation is becoming a competitive advantage, not a regulatory chore.
• Clearer labelling and responsible marketing could soon be expectations rather than differentiators.
• Products that help consumers feel in control — not controlled — will win trust.

The research also follows Lifesum’s recent findings on GLP‑1 users, over half of whom reported reduced cravings for UPFs. Appetite, it seems, is becoming as much a technological battleground as a nutritional one.

Brits still love their crisps, chocolate and cheeky ready meals — but they’re increasingly aware that these foods may love them a little too much in return. As public opinion shifts from “I shouldn’t have eaten that” to “why is this designed to be unstoppable?”, the pressure is on manufacturers to rethink how UPFs are made, marketed and messaged.

In short: the nation isn’t breaking up with ultra‑processed foods just yet — but it is starting to read the relationship advice columns.