Why we eat too much: How to tackle our toxic food environment

Ultra-processed foods confuse the body’s natural weight-control system, putting us on the road to excessive weight gain and related health complications. A leading medic says it's time to get back to nutrition basics

Dr Andrew Jenkinson wants people to eat natural, unprocessed foods.

Dr Andrew Jenkinson wants us to know that food acts like a drug in the body. And that depending on what kind of food it is, it can be a toxic drug or a cleansing one.

A bariatric surgeon, Jenkinson is part of an expert team developing advances in gastrointestinal surgery at University College Hospital in Bloomsbury, central London. He has just published How To Eat (and Still Lose Weight), a Science-Backed Guide to Nutrition and Health.