David Lazarus, “Junk Food and Obesity: Taking a Cue from Tobacco Control,” The Los Angeles Times, June 29, 2010

This article calls for government authorities to treat “junk food” and the obesity epidemic exactly as they addressed smoking. Noting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest dietary guidelines have recycled the same advice given 30 years ago, while the rate of obese Americans has roughly doubled in that time, columnist Davis Lazarus calls for “draconian” measures to reduce consumption of high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar products. Among other matters, he contends that such an aggressive campaign could mean anything from making certain foods less appealing by removing them from schools, government buildings and workplaces, to taxing sweetened beverages, stepping up wellness programs and subsidizing healthy foods instead of corn.