You're saying something I don't think you intend - on a societal level America is being burdened with healthcare costs that are spiraling out of control... the failed society is the one that has failed to reasonably regulate food and is now burdened with extreme obesity epidemics and nutritional deficiencies.

It's easy to say "Just eat better" when you're wealthy but the working poor in America don't have any great options outside of switching to base staple foods like rice and beans... and that's difficult to do when good seeming fast foods are offered in abundance.

On a societal level "evolution" seems to be pretty clearly indicating that America was wrong on this one.

How about we let the government decide what is legal to advertise for? That worked okay for tobacco.

Also worked for the food pyramid...

without "the government" we wouldn't know what is actually in the food and couldn't make an informed decision

Do: Have the government require transparency and safety of producers of goods (especially food).

Do not: Dictate or attempt to control what food consumers choose.

Exceptions: Tobacco, carcinogens, hallucinogens, narcotic substances, poisons... See "safety"

I could classify food as narcotic substance. It's addictive for me, I've felt withdrawal symptoms very clearly and I really felt like a junkie on hunger when I dropped too much weight too fast. There is BIG a difference between "stomach empty" hunger and "PANIC_MODE: your cells require energy NOW" hunger.

Why is sugar not on your list of exceptions when excessive quantities of it are much more impactful on your health than everything on that list outside of out-right-poisons?

Obesity is killing a lot of folks before they grow old enough to develop Cancers.

Someone has already pointed out sugar and how it's not on your exceptions list.

Let's do this another way though.

What are the criteria for being added to your exceptions?

Please explain the food pyramid?

Evolution only works this way if the person dies before having children