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We’re Being Managed, Not Healed: How Processed Food and Disease-First Medicine Are Undermining Real Health — and What We Must Do About It

Published by Malcolm McLean Founder of The Ultra Lite Ketogenic Lifestyle Program on

For more than a quarter century, I’ve worked in clinics, pharmacies, and communities helping people rebuild their lives through whole-food nutrition and structured metabolic rehabilitation. What I’ve observed isn’t a coincidence: a growing health crisis has been shaped and accelerated by two converging forces—an industrialized food system that prizes ultra-processed products and a disease-management model that too often treats symptoms instead of restoring health.

The science is clear: diets dominated by ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are associated with higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental-health problems, and even premature death. A major synthesis of the literature concluded that greater exposure to ultra-processed food is linked to multiple adverse outcomes, particularly cardiometabolic disease and mental-health conditions. BMJ+1 Recent analyses also show that UPF consumption explains a substantial proportion of the burden of obesity and diabetes in modern populations. BioMed Central

Why does this matter? Processed-food manufacturers design products for palatability, shelf life,  and profit—often at the expense of nutrient density. The result is an environment where inexpensive, calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods dominate supermarket shelves and household plates. Even in nations with abundant whole foods, UPFs now make up large proportions of daily energy intake; the health toll is reflected in rising chronic disease rates and ballooning long-term healthcare costs. Daily Telegraph+1

At the same time, parts of our healthcare system have slipped into a disease-management paradigm that frequently substitutes long-term medication for upstream corrective action. Scholars have long warned of the ways commercial incentives can shape medical practice—from the expansion of disease definitions to the promotion of long-term pharmacotherapy — producing what critics call “disease mongering.” PMC+1 This is not to deny the enormous, life-saving value of modern medicines. Rather, it is a call to recognise how incentives and marketing can tilt systems away from prevention and restoration and toward chronic dependence.

A practical example of the tension between quick pharmacological fixes and long-term metabolic restoration is unfolding now with GLP-1 receptor agonists (brand names such as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, and Mounjaro®/Zepbound). These drugs can produce dramatic short-term weight loss and metabolic improvements, but clinical and observational reports show weight and metabolic parameters commonly rebound when medication stops—highlighting that medication alone rarely rewires the underlying behaviour, environment, and physiology that produced weight gain and diabetes in the first place. Healthline+1

The good news is that remission is possible—and the pathway is known. Landmark clinical trials show that intentional, sustained weight loss delivered through dietary and lifestyle interventions can push many people with recent-onset type 2 diabetes back to non-diabetic glycemia without medication. The DiRECT study—a primary care-delivered weight-management program—showed nearly half of participants achieved diabetes remission at 12 months, and sustained weight loss was the main determinant of durable remission. The Lancet+1 multiple controlled studies also show carbohydrate-restricted and ketogenic approaches can quickly improve glycemia, reduce medication needs, and in many cases support remission or major metabolic improvement, especially when part of a structured program with close clinical support. BMJ+1

There’s another critical piece of evidence we must pay attention to: UPFs can harm fast. Recent tightly controlled feeding studies demonstrate that diets composed of ultra-processed foods can cause significant metabolic harms within weeks—independent of calorie intake—suggesting that harmful components of processing, additives, and packaging may directly affect physiology and behavior. Le Monde.fr

Put together, the evidence yields a simple but radical conclusion: if we want less disease and more health, we must change food environments and clinical practice to prioritise whole food, metabolic repair, and durable lifestyle change over perpetual medication dependence.

So what should health and fitness professionals do—and why partner with programs like UltraLite?

  1. Prioritize whole-food-first interventions. Encourage diets built from unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Clinical outcomes and feeding studies show clear benefits of returning to whole foods; population data link reductions in UPF consumption to lower cardiometabolic risk. BMJ+1
  2. Offer structured, evidence-based pathways for remission. Replicate the elements that work in trials: intensive weight loss where appropriate, close monitoring, personalized nutrition (including carbohydrate management where indicated), and long-term maintenance support. The DiRECT trial demonstrates this is feasible in primary care—it’s not theoretical. The Lancet
  3. Use medications thoughtfully—as part of a plan, not the only plan. GLP-1s and other agents can be powerful tools for some patients, but they work best when combined with behavior change and clear exit strategies. Patients need education on realistic expectations and the plan for long-term metabolic resilience. Healthline+1
  4. Educate communities and change environments. We must fight the flood of UPFs with supply-side and demand-side solutions: better food policy, clearer labeling, and practical community education that makes whole food choices easier and more affordable.
  5. Collaborate across disciplines. Pharmacists, nutritionists, naturopaths, nurses, trainers, and clinic-based practitioners all have a role. Combining pharmacy access, clinical oversight, and structured coaching multiplies reach and outcomes.

This is more than a clinical argument—it’s a moral and practical one. We can run a profitable, ethical practice that helps patients reclaim their health for life. We can collaborate to introduce whole-food, evidence-based programs that deliver remission and resilience, not dependency.

If you are a health or fitness professional who wants to move from disease management to disease reversal and prevention, let’s talk. Together we can restore food, focus on metabolic repair, and give people the practical tools to live well—for life.

— Malcolm Mclean, UltraLite Program
Contact: malcolm@ultralite.com.au | +61 411 756 476

Key references: BMJ review on UPFs; systematic reviews on UPF and cardiometabolic risk; DiRECT trial (Lancet) on diabetes remission; reviews of low-carb/ketogenic diets; reporting on GLP-1 discontinuation effects. Healthline+4BMJ+4PMC+4