How the Tobacco Industry Drove the Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods

In 1963, R.J. Reynolds and other major tobacco companies began diversifying into the food industry, acquiring brands like Hawaiian Punch, Nabisco, Kraft, and Del Monte, where they applied their successful marketing strategies to produce hyperpalatable, ultra-processed foods. These chemically-engineered products, heavily marketed to children and vulnerable populations, now account for approximately 60% of calories in American diets and have directly contributed to the dramatic rise in obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases since the 1980s.