[tptacek]

I think you mean highly palatable. Hyperpalatability is a real problem. But that's not intrinsic to "ultra-processing"; there are lots of reasons to "ultra-process" foods that aren't about maximizing caloric input.

[beejiu]

No, I mean consumable, as in spending dollars to buy a product. Palatability is an input to consumption. It drives consumption and profit.

[tptacek]

I mean, that's not as far as I know an actual commonly-used metric but it's closely enough aligned with hyperpalatability that I think the distinction doesn't matter.