We had difficulty fielding an Army during WW2 due to an underweight population. Incentives were aligned to production techniques that could achieve economies of scale, leading to commercialized farming, shelf stable products, etc. In that environment, it made sense. Bad food was better than a starving population. Caloric deficits are a far more common problem throughout history than surpluses. Most people alive today have never seen or experienced that, so it’s easy to look past. Now, food quality poses a higher risk than caloric deficit, so it makes sense to rethink those practices. This time, I think it is more a case that the environment has completely changed rather than an evil plan. And never forget, in a zombie apocalypse, the country with the most Twinkie’s wins.