information overload is causing widespread "decision fatigue." This is particularly evident among lower-income households, who are twice as likely as higher earners to cite confusion as their primary barrier to healthy eating, often leading them to default to ultra-processed options despite known health risks.

Public health agencies are now shifting toward a strategy that prioritizes simplified retail signaling over traditional education. The federal government is moving to establish uniform definitions for ultra-processed foods and standardized "front-of-package" labels to help consumers bypass the noise of digital influencers. By collaborating with the private sector to improve the visibility of evidence-based options, health officials aim to lower the cognitive burden on families. This transition suggests that the future of public health depends less on telling people what to eat and more on engineering environments where the healthy choice is the most intuitive one.

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