Like many people, I watched the latest documentary from Channel 4 with much interest. But Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill did not turn out to be a fly-on-the-wall series about training the nation’s lockdown PE teacher to become a member of the Secret Service. Instead, he joined Dr Chris van Tulleken on a quest to expose the dangers of ultra-processed foods, where they pitted themselves against the super-heavyweights of snacking, protein bars. These chewy monstrosities were once something that only those seeking marginal gains would scoff at the gym but they now permeate every newsagent, supermarket checkout and office countertop. Since protein bars are commonly sold under the innocent guise of being a healthy snack, the daring duo set out to show how lax regulations were allowing them to be anything but.
