Published in 2025
9 hours and 23 minutes
Milli Hill is an author and journalist specialising in women’s health, feminism and autonomy. In 2012 she founded the global Positive Birth Movement.
Her first book, The Positive Birth Book, was published in March 2017 to wide acclaim, immediately becoming an Amazon bestseller and remaining one of the most popular books for pregnant women ever since. In August 2019 her second book, Give Birth Like a Feminist, was published by Harper Collins and has since been widely featured in the UK media including the BBC. The book seeks to spark debate about childbirth as an overlooked feminist issue, and urges women to reclaim their bodily autonomy in birth in line with the #metoo movement. Her third book, My Period, is a must-have puberty guide for pre-teen girls, with information about everything from cycle awareness and charting, to the correct names for body parts, to confidence and self-care. In July 2025 her fourth book, Ultra Processed Women, was published, offering a deep dive into both the impact of UPF on the female body and women’s potential role in change.
Prior to becoming a writer, Milli worked as a creative psychotherapist with both children and adults, specialising in supporting children who had experienced trauma and abuse. Milli lives in rural Somerset with her partner and three children.
What is this book about?
Unpacking the truth about what’s on your plate – and what it’s doing to your health
Everyone is talking about ultra-processed food (UPF) and its impact on our health – but what about women? Is this very modern way of eating having a unique and specific impact on the female body? Are these ‘industrially produced food-like items in plastic packets’ that many of us consume particularly damaging to women’s health?
In Ultra-Processed Women, acclaimed journalist and women’s health advocate Milli Hill uncovers the shocking truth. From period pain and weight gain to depression, hormone imbalances, autoimmune conditions and even Alzheimer’s, Hill reveals cutting-edge research into the hidden dangers that lurk in your daily food choices.
But this is not just a book about food. Ultra-Processed Women also explores the way the modern food industry has exploited women in their advertising for decades and uncovers the damage being wrought not only on our bodies but on the environment and on our own ability to connect with each other through the fundamentally human experience of cooking and eating.
This isn’t just a wake-up call – it’s a battle cry. Written in Hill’s trademark down-to-earth style, Ultra-Processed Women will help you understand the issues and develop a clear course of action, arming you with tools and practical steps to cut through the confusion, break free from the damaging effects of UPFs, and reclaim your health without guilt or deprivation. Changing the way we eat, Hill argues, is a radical act of resistance to an ultra-processed world.
It’s time to take back control. Your body, your choices, your future.
“An absolute must read for anyone wanting to takeback control of their body and their diet, without needing a doctorate in chemistry.” Psychologies
“Utterly had me gasping and rethinking my relationship with food and what I advise my patients – just a fabulous book.” – Dr Nighat Arif, GP in women’s health, author and broadcaster
