IFNHP member Ashley Gearhardt, Professor of Psychology at U-M, is one of 43 authors of a three-paper series in The Lancet. The series links diets high in ultraprocessed foods to at least 12 health conditions. The authors call for policies that target the products directly, including marketing limits for children, restrictions in schools and hospitals, and taxes that fund fresh food for low-income households. Gearhardt said these products are “deliberately designed to hijack the brain’s reward systems,” so difficulty stopping reflects product design rather than willpower.