Ultra-processed food manufacturers are increasingly using strategies pioneered by the tobacco industry to drive overconsumption—an alarming trend that could worsen the heavy burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), according to a new international study.
Published on Monday in The Milbank Quarterly, the study argues that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) should be regulated not merely as food but as industrially engineered products designed to trigger cravings, encourage rapid intake and promote habitual consumption, using methods similar to those employed in cigarette production.
The findings come as Bangladesh grapples with rising rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. According to the World Health Organization, NCDs account for more than two-thirds of all deaths in the country, with unhealthy diets identified as a major risk factor.
Researchers found that many ultra-processed foods—including sugary drinks, packaged snacks and fast food—are engineered to deliver high doses of sugar and fat while stripping away fibre, protein and water.
This design accelerates digestion, causes sharp spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, and reduces feelings of fullness, encouraging repeated consumption.
“These products are engineered less like food and more like cigarettes,” said Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and one of the study’s authors.
“They are optimised for craving, rapid intake and repeated use—and that level of harm demands regulatory action.”
The study draws striking parallels between ultra-processed food marketing and the tobacco industry’s past practices. Just as tobacco companies once promoted “low-tar” or “light” cigarettes, ultra-processed food makers frequently use labels such as “low fat,” “high protein” or “fortified” to create a perception of health, despite the products’ overall nutritional risks.
Public health experts say the comparison is particularly relevant for Bangladesh.
“The tobacco experience shows that effective regulation works,” the study notes, urging policymakers to consider similar approaches for ultra-processed foods, including restrictions on marketing, clearer warning labels and limits on product formulation.
The researchers reviewed evidence from addiction science, nutrition and public health history, focusing on five areas: dose optimisation, delivery speed, hedonic engineering, environmental ubiquity and deceptive reformulation.
In Bangladesh, the rapid expansion of fast-food outlets, aggressive marketing of packaged snacks and growing consumption of sugary beverages—especially among urban youth—have raised concerns among nutritionists and public health advocates.
The study concludes that addressing the health risks of ultra-processed foods will require policy measures targeting industry practices, rather than relying solely on individual behaviour change—a lesson Bangladesh has already learned from its decades-long fight against tobacco.
The article appears in The Milbank Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy published by the Milbank Memorial Fund.
Founded in 1905, the Fund works with health leaders and decision-makers to improve population health and health equity, including by convening state health policymakers, supporting strong primary care, and publishing evidence-based research and analysis.
“If we want to reduce the cancer burden, we also need to reduce the non-communicable disease burden—it is indisputable that tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed food and air quality are major drivers of multiple kinds of cancer,” said Katie Dain, CEO of the NCD Alliance, speaking to Dhaka Tribune.
“The fight against cancer is to a large degree a fight against NCDs, and prevention has to be pivotal,” she added.
