The Chicago Tribune has published a three-part series about the Oreo, which is the best-selling cookie in the world, and its relationship with childhood obesity.

The Oreo and Addiction 

Part I covers the role the Oreo played in the discovery of sugar's addictive qualities. Food companies like Kraft, which makes Oreos, have made a massive effort to figure out how and why consumers are attracted to their products.

The companies have often turned to outside consultants to help them understand the complicated brain science that stimulates consumers to eat sugar-laden foods, and Kraft even held joint meetings with cigarette-maker Philip Morris to share brain data.

Now that, for all practical purposes, Kraft and Philip Morris have merged under the Altria Group, the two companies have shared talented strategists as a preemptive strike against the rising tide of lawsuits filed by people blaming food companies for their poor health.

Selling the Oreo

Part II deals with the difficulties of selling Oreos, now that their popularity has collided with public dismay at the childhood obesity crisis. The article details Kraft's massive marketing campaigns aimed at children, which were wildly successful until negative publicity grew and sales began to drop. Kraft agreed to stop marketing Oreos to children, but has largely continued to do so anyway.

Reinventing the Oreo

Part III examines Kraft's attempts to change the Oreo cookie to revive flagging sales as knowledge of the dangers of obesity and trans fats spreads. Kraft has attempted to take advantage of consumer confusion about what is healthy by creating an Oreo for every possible niche market, including low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, and low-calorie versions.

Oreos now come in 40 different flavors, colors and package sizes. However, despite numerous failed attempts to change the basic recipe, the regular Oreo is still the same high-fat, high-calorie cookie.