> for public health policy it's easier

Your entire explanation seems to rest critically on this point.

After COVID, I cannot support what's "easier" for public health policy. Do the work.

"Easier" got us "N95s don't protect against COVID" and then it was "oh wait, actually cloth masks do!"

A lot of this stuff relies on trust.

I won't sit here and try to pretend that you will find health eating Doritos or McDonald's Big Macs. But is something like a low-sugar protein bar a decent option? How about Soylent?

These are the nuanced questions that are actually useful to answer. Nobody actually thinks "ultra processed foods" are good for you to begin with.