[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alleine
[B]Oh please...in the US we live in a free society. I don't want ANYTHING censored, banned or highly taxed just because someone else thinks it's bad for me. If you really think about it, neither do you. [B]

Okay...along those lines of thinking, we should make all drugs legal, remove taxes on cigarettes and alcohol and declare helmet, seat belt, and infant car seat laws unconstitutional. While we're at it, let's get rid of speed limits and remove the minimum age for sales of alcohol and cigarettes to minors.

My point here is that because humans will not always voluntarily choose what is best for them, the government has already passed laws regarding what is good or not good for us in some cases and in many cases, those laws have been shown to have saved thousands of lives (seat belt and helmet laws, for example).

I don't honestly think that lawsuits are the answer, but since the government is already in the business of recommending what is and is not healthy to eat, why not reward those that are offering healthier choices and penalize those who are not by not giving them rewards?
The fact is, when the government recommends, the public pays attention. They may not always follow those recommendations, but at least they've heard the message. Look how common low fat products became once the government jumped on the low fat wagon. Companies produced hundreds of low fat products and consumers spent millions of dollars on them.
With obesity-related health problems costing the government (and therefore the taxpayers...US) millions of dollars per year, something needs to be done. Legislation? Nah. Lawsuits? Nope. Pressure and rewards, both from the government and from the public. Money talks. If people stop buying products, producers will take note and if they're looking to stay in business, they will start coming up with products that the public wants.
Goodness! Look at the fuss that the wheat producers are making over the drop in consumption and the sugar producers are making over WHO's recommendations to make sugar no more than 10% of daily caloric intake!