BBC doctor said eating these foods made him gain a stone in a month

Dr Chris Van Tulleken joined his twin brother Dr Xand on Morning Live on Monday, where he revealed he piled on more than a stone in just a month. The health expert and regular BBC presenter said he did this simply by eating a diet very similar to that of many of us in the UK.

Dr Chris is known for his research into ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and he spent a month on a diet made up almost entirely (80%) of UPFs. After the month was up, the doctor was a staggering seven kilos, or around 15 lbs, heavier.

His new documentary, Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Eating, explores why UPFs "have come to dominate food culture", and airs on BBC Two this evening (November 25). He is joined on the programme by former food industry insiders talking about the way in which popular foods are designed to make us want to eat more and more of them.

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On today's Morning Live, Dr Chris said: "Ultra-processed foods are linked to a number of different health outcomes, weight gain is kind of the most obvious. I went on an 80% ultra-processed food diet for a research study, filmed by the BBC.

"I put on seven kilos in one month, an enormous amount for a month, and it took me four years to lose the weight ... it was extremely hard."

Dr Chris also moved to let people know they should not feel shame around their eating habits, as he continued: "Every single aspect of every product you're eating has been designed and marketed by teams of geniuses ... If you've ever put a tub of ice cream in your freezer and found yourself going back again and again and again until you've finished the whole tub, don't be ashamed of that.

"People have used brain scanners amongst many other techniques to develop that ice cream, to make you find it irresistible."

BBC Morning Live airs weekdays at 9.30am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer