Ultra-processed foods with reduced structural integrity increase energy intake by disrupting mechanical chewing and attenuating physiological satiety signaling pathways.

Study: Ultra‐processed foods cause weight gain and increased energy intake associated with reduced chewing frequency: A randomized, open‐label, crossover study

When people ate highly processed foods, they chewed less and ended up eating over 800 extra calories a day without realizing it, leading to weight gain. This suggests that soft, processed foods trick the body into eating more because they don’t require much chewing.

Study: The Effect of Eating Rate of Ultra‐Processed Foods on Dietary Intake, Eating Behaviour, Body Composition and Metabolic Responses—Rationale, Design and Outcomes of the Restructure Randomised Controlled Trial

When people ate the same processed foods more slowly (by making them harder to chew), they ate about 130 fewer calories a day — showing that chewing more helps you feel full sooner and eat less.

Study: A Meal with Ultra-Processed Foods Leads to a Faster Rate of Intake and to a Lesser Decrease in the Capacity to Eat When Compared to a Similar, Matched Meal Without Ultra-Processed Foods

This study found that people ate processed foods faster and felt like they could eat more afterward compared to similar unprocessed foods, even though both meals had the same calories and nutrients. This suggests that how processed the food is — not just what’s in it — can trick your body into eating too much.

Study: The collapse of the food matrix: how ultra-processed foods impact satiety and metabolism by altering physical structure beyond nutrient composition

This study found that people eat 500 extra calories a day when they eat ultra-processed foods, even when those foods have the same nutrients as whole foods — because they’re soft and easy to eat fast, so your body doesn’t get the full ‘I’m full’ signals.