Author Michael Pollan on his "food rules" to live by

Ultraprocessed foods, characterized by their high content of ingredients like corn syrup and maltodextrin, are making Americans sick, according to food author Michael Pollan and former FDA Commissioner David Kessler. These ready-to-eat items, often wrapped in plastic, have been linked to a surge in chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart conditions.

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These products, made with highly processed ingredients like corn syrup and maltodextrin, have been making people sick for decades.

Kessler told "60 Minutes" that these products "target the brain reward circuits that keep us coming back for more," triggering overeating and a lack of fullness. Pollan echoed these concerns, citing a National Institutes of Health study where participants on an ultraprocessed diet consumed 500 more calories daily than those on a whole foods diet. He explained that the lack of fiber in these foods contributes to this increased consumption.

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They target the brain reward circuits that keep us coming back for more. They trigger overeating. They deprive us… of any sense of fullness.

Pollan also pointed to the ubiquity of sugar, often in forms like high fructose corn syrup, even in seemingly healthy products such as canned tomato sauce. He noted that sugar, once a rare commodity, is now a cheap and abundant ingredient in many processed foods. The Consumer Brands Association of America, representing major food brands, responded that their member companies "innovate to meet consumer demand" and follow FDA guidelines for ingredient safety.

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You know, 70% of Americans are either overweight or obese… so it seems pretty clear there's something wrong with the way we eat.