A message to those who blame the government/food industry ..
First of all, don't listen to people who say it is your fault for being addicted to junk food. If you're like me, you were fed this crap as a child before you ever had any say in the matter, so this isn't like hard drugs, where you pretty much have to go and seek those out. No, this addiction was given to you thanks to your parents. You would not tell a heroin addict it was their fault if they were 'fed' the drug as a child. Some things we just didn't have any control over, or else didn't know any better. But here's some food for thought ...
I used to be like a lot of you in blaming the government, blaming the food industry, and whoever else I thought might've had a hand in my addiction. But do you know what? After all that whining was done, I was still overweight and dependent on junk food. And so too will you be. I think there are steps the government should take in regulating the food industry, esp going after the psychopaths who are dressing up food labels to give consumers the impression that their products are healthy, knowing full well that they're not. There is such a thing as false advertising. There needs to be WARNING labels on anything with HCF and other poisons.
The good news though is that you don't have to wait for the government to act before you start making changes. My advice would be to work on one vice at a time. I started by giving up tobacco, followed up by alcohol. (Granted, those aren't junk food and nobody's fault but my own, but we all have to start somewhere.) At the beginning of this year, I set a goal to give up soda, and I haven't had one since Dec 31 of last year. I've also made drastic changes in the way I eat; my diet is still far from perfect, but it is a lot better than it used to be. During this process, I started exercising regularly, and I've lost about 25lbs.
So what's my point? Although it isn't your fault that you are addicted to this stuff, it is your fault if you STAY addicted. The information to make changes is out there and readily available. If I and hundreds of thousands of others can start making better choices about our health without the nanny state being involved, why can't you? Some people rightly point out that sugar is like a drug to the brain, but so what? You can give up drugs; people do it all the time. I don't even crave sodas anymore. If you say you don't have the will power, well guess what? The government lowering the sugar content in foods isn't going to make those veggies taste any better. A bag of low sugar cookies is always going to taste better than broccoli.
And don't let a bunch of morons tell you that eating healthy is more expensive. It isn't. And if it is, it's not overly so. I doubt there's anyone on this board who couldn't afford to eat healthier. I actually spend less on food than I used to, primarily because I eat a lot less of it. Why do I eat less of it? Because it doesn't taste as good :P In fact, I hate it every day. But at least I can go to bed every night, knowing I am in control of this area of my life, and don't have to depend on the nanny state to make these choices for me. Does that make me BETTER than you? Well, actually it does :P Even if you have to spend a little more to eat healthier, odds are significantly in your favor that you're going to have to spend a lot less down the road in medical expenses because of all the crap you'll no longer be putting into your body on a daily basis. Think of it as an investment in your future.
The best news of all is that what I said above about not having to wait for the government also applies to pretty much every other area of your life. Don't let those who have committed themselves to living off the government's teet for the rest of their lives keep telling you that you are a victim, because if you think you are, you always will be. Granted, there ARE some victims out there, but this doesn't apply to the majority who are whining about what the government or corporations aren't doing. While you wait for changes 'out there', take some f-king initiative for once and do something on your own!