"Avoid ultra-processed food to curb excess calories Dr. Mark Hyman cited a clinical comparison showing the caloric impact of food processing independent of macronutrients. He explained that "ultra-processed food causes people to eat 500 calories more per day compared to whole food" — the equivalent of gaining 52 pounds a year if left unchecked. The mechanism is not willpower failure but engineered palatability that overrides satiety signals. Switching to minimally processed food reduces intake automatically, without counting or restricting. Source: Dr. Mark Hyman, Feel Better, Live More, How Ultra-Processed Food Is Destroying Your Health"