By the 1980s, the tobacco industry had been exposed for engineering addiction through chemicals in cigarettes. Rather than retreat, they pivoted to the food industry, employing similar tactics to create dependency. The result wasn’t just products laden with sugar and preservatives but an insidious strategy to ensure consumer loyalty at the expense of public health. Now, nearly 50% of the American population grapples with obesity, and rates of chronic illness are soaring.
This shift marks a troubling departure from a time when wellness was a national priority, underscoring the urgent need to reclaim control over our food and supplement choices.
Around the same time, tobacco companies began infiltrating the food industry; pharmaceutical giants attempted to monopolize the vitamin market by pushing for legislation that would make vitamins available only by prescription.
Our founder led the charge against this blatant power grab, successfully rallying support to pass the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). While this was a significant victory, it triggered a new wave of corporate tactics: a systematic buyout of supplement companies by Big Pharma: they embraced the philosophy of “if you can’t beat them, buy them,” consolidating their power over the industry. Today, the market is flooded with processed foods and fraudulent vitamins that prioritize profit over health.
This is why we must remain vigilant and fight back against this
commodification of our well-being.