From Tobacco to Ultraprocessed Food: How Industry Engineering Fuels the Epidemic of Preventable Disease

From Tobacco to Ultraprocessed Food: How Industry Engineering Fuels the Epidemic of Preventable Disease

"Cigarettes and UPFs are not simply natural products but highly engineered delivery systems designed specifically to maximize biological and psychological reinforcement and habitual overuse. Both industries have used similar strategies to increase product appeal, evade regulation, and shape public perception, including adding sensory additives, accelerating reward delivery, expanding contextual access, and deploying health-washing claims."

GEARHARDT, A.N., BROWNELL, K.D. and BRANDT, A.M. (2026), From Tobacco to Ultraprocessed Food: How Industry Engineering Fuels the Epidemic of Preventable Disease. Milbank Quarterly.. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.70066.

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