A food scientist who has long vocalized the link between ultra-processed foods and chronic health conditions has revealed that he still eats them, even 'the bad ones'. Ultra-processed foods have exploded in the US and elsewhere in recent decades, just as rates of obesity and other diet-related diseases also rise. Studies have linked ultra-processed foods to negative health effects, but whether it's the actual processing of the foods (rather than the amount of calories they contain or the chemicals in them) remains uncertain. Following his 2019 analysis exposing ultra-processed foods, Hall launched a more in-depth multimillion-dollar study this year which saw three dozen participants paid $5,000 each to devote 28 days of their lives to science. When those qualities were modified, consumption went down, even if the foods were considered ultra-processed, Hall said.