Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored a simple but powerful idea. Some of the biggest health shifts do not come from adding more, but from removing what quietly drains us. We’ve talked about ultra-processed foods, how they affect the body, and why nutrition advice is beginning to change.
This week, that conversation takes a more serious turn.
In the United States, legal action is now being taken against major ultra-processed food manufacturers. Several states and cities are pursuing lawsuits that argue these companies knowingly designed, marketed and sold products that contribute to obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases, while downplaying or obscuring the risks.
It is an unprecedented move. And it tells us something important.
This is no longer just a debate happening in nutrition circles or public health journals. It has reached the courts.
What Is Being Challenged
The cases focus on how ultra-processed foods are formulated and promoted. These products are not simply convenient versions of real food. They are engineered to be hyper-palatable, inexpensive and difficult to moderate. Their combination of refined carbohydrates, industrial fats, flavour enhancers and additives is designed to keep people eating.
For years, the burden of responsibility has sat almost entirely with the individual. Eat less. Move more. Make better choices.
What these lawsuits suggest is a growing recognition that the food environment itself matters. When products are deliberately designed to override appetite regulation and encourage overconsumption, the issue is no longer just a matter of personal choice.
That shift mirrors what we saw decades ago with tobacco. At first, health outcomes were framed as individual responsibility. Later, attention turned to how products were engineered, marketed and normalised.
Why This Matters for Health
This legal action aligns closely with what the science has been showing for some time.
Ultra-processed foods can place a constant, low-grade load on the body. They disrupt blood sugar regulation, increase inflammatory signalling, strain detoxification pathways and interfere with how cells produce energy. Over time, this creates a state of chronic stress within the system.
This is why so many people feel tired, foggy or stuck, even when they believe they are doing most things right. It is not that their bodies are broken. It is that their systems are working around a background of continuous exposure.
No supplement, exercise plan or wellness routine can fully compensate for that load.
And this is where the idea of subtraction becomes so important.
Why Removal Changes Everything
As we’ve discussed over the last couple of weeks, when a major stressor is removed, the body does not need to be told what to do next. Repair processes that were previously suppressed begin to re-emerge. Energy production becomes more efficient. Inflammatory signals quieten. Appetite regulation often improves without conscious effort.
This is not theory. It is observed again and again when people meaningfully reduce their intake of ultra-processed foods.
The lawsuits do not mean people should panic or feel fearful about food. They do, however, validate something many have sensed intuitively. These products were never neutral.
And recognising that can be surprisingly freeing.
From Blame to Awareness
This moment represents a shift away from blaming individuals and towards questioning systems.
Understanding how food is designed allows people to make calmer, more informed choices. It supports the idea that health is not just about willpower, but about the environment we are navigating every day.
Final Thought
The fact that ultra-processed food companies are now being challenged in court marks an important moment. It signals a broader recognition that health outcomes are shaped not just by individual choices, but by the systems we live within.
That matters because it allows the conversation to shift. Away from blame. Away from willpower. Away from the idea that people are failing at health.
What these developments really underline is this: when the background load is reduced, the body is far more capable than we often give it credit for. Subtraction creates space. Awareness restores choice.
As always, thank you for reading and reflecting along with me. And if any part of this series has shifted how you think about food or health, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.
