Rats were fed ad libitum diets containing a combination of commonly consumed highly palatable snack foods, a commercial stock diet, or had access to both diets for 10-11 weeks. Rats fed snack foods only had elevations in risk factors associated with heart disease and/or diabetes including serum cholesterol, insulin response to glucose, and serum glucose. Triglyceride levels were not affected by diet. Removable fat pad weights (perirenal and epididymal) were greater in rats fed snack foods than in rats fed only stock diet, even though total body weights were less. Liver glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was not affected by diet, but malic enzyme activity was greater in rats fed snack foods only than in the other two groups. These results indicate that some risk factors associated with heart disease and/or diabetes can be elevated by feeding a diet containing commonly consumed snack foods.