His shoulders are hunched — no doubt struggling under the weight of his huge, distended belly and pendulous ‘moobs’.
His skin is mottled with acne, his legs swollen and infected with sores and he stares, hauntingly, through yellowed, dark-ringed eyes.
Meet Michael — who is not, as he may appear, a character form the latest horror film or mob-inspired crime series.
In fact, he is an AI-generated imagine of the average British man will look like in 30 years, if diets continue to be junk-food heavy.
And the result of decades of eating badly are not pretty. Aside from the obvious horrors caused by his morbid obesity, his health is suffering in other ways.
Michael has asthma, depression and anxiety, and he struggles to sleep — all problems both caused and exacerbated by excess weight.
And he’s at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which make him a candidate from a heart attack of debilitating stroke.
The ‘model’ was created as part of a report carried out by recipe box, Gousto.
Meet Michael, an AI-generated imagine of the average British man will look like in 30 years, if diets continue to be junk-food heavy
His skin is mottled with acne, his legs swollen and infected with sores and he stares, hauntingly, through yellowed, dark-ringed eyes
Their study hopes to raise awareness about the long-term impacts of today’s eating habits and to shine a light on unhealthy eating in the UK.
Over the past few decades, ultra-processed foods — which are highly manufactured and laden with additives — have become a staple of the modern British diet.
Mounting evidence suggests fizzy drinks, biscuits and ready meals are to blame for a catalogue of health harms, including cancer.
People with diets high in UPFs also die younger, research has shown.
Yet, shockingly, these foods make up 57 per cent of the average adult’s diet, and even more worryingly, 66 per cent of a child’s diet.
And the UK consumed more UPFs than any other European country, official data shows.
Obesity rates have soared over the past few decades, with the most recent data showing overall a quarter of adults are obese — carrying excess weight at levels known to increase the risk of illness.
In some UK areas, this rises to almost half the local population.
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, splits food into four groups based on the amount of processing it has gone through. Unprocessed foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs and meat. Processed culinary ingredients — which are usually not eaten alone — include oils, butter, sugar and salt
The rates for children are similarly disturbing, with 15 per cent — or one in eight — of two-to-15-year-olds classified as obese.
According to a poll carried out by Gousto, almost two thirds of Brits are unaware of the long-term impacts UPFs have, despite three quarters saying they wanted to eat more healthily, but either did not have the time or money.
GP and media commentator Dr Hilary Jones said: ‘Ultra-processed foods aren’t inherently harmful, but when they dominate our diets and replace fresh, nutrient-rich foods, they can increase the risk of long-term health issues like cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and nutrient deficiencies.
‘A balanced diet full of fresh, whole ingredients is essential for preventing chronic conditions and supporting overall health.
‘Cooking from scratch is one of the most effective ways to minimise our ultra-processed food intake and maintain a balanced diet.’
The impact of ultra-processed foods is increasingly a cause for concern among top British experts — as some suspect these foods may contain ingredients that are driving an increase in cancers in under 50s.
Professor Charles Swanton, oncologist and Chief Clinician at Cancer Research UK recently highlighted emerging links between the ‘disturbing’ pattern and ultra-processed diets.
Speaking at the American Society of Clinical Oncology last year, he said studies have shown that some early-onset bowel cancer may be ‘initiated’ by bacteria in the gut that’s prevalent in those who eat low fibre, high sugar diets.
Michael suffers from asthma — a condition that is both caused and also exacerbated by obesity, studies have shown
The AI ‘model’ is also blighted by swollen joints and infection in the skin, which are due to a lack of nutrients and obesity
‘What we are seeing in some studies is some tumours from patients with early-onset colorectal cancer harbour mutations that might be initiated by these microbial species,’ he said.
These mutations are thought to reduce the body’s ability to combat pre-cancerous cells.
Dr Cathy Eng, a bowel cancer doctor at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, also noted that many young cancer patients also suffer lifestyle-related conditions linked to poor diets, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Matthew Lambert, nutritionist and health information and promotion manager at World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) told MailOnline: ‘We advise that people eat less overly processed, high in saturated fat, sugar and salt food.
‘This includes food like cakes, biscuits, pastries, crisps, sugar-sweetened drinks, and fast food like pizza and burgers.
‘These types of food have no fibre and contain virtually no essential nutrients, they should only be eaten occasionally and in small amounts.’
He adds that it isn’t yet clear whether the risk lies in junk food itself or the fact it is easy to eat a lot of it, increasing the chance of weight gain.
However, it is well known that obesity is a direct cause of a number of different types of cancers — 13 according to Mr Lambert.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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