Everyone is high fiving the Food and Drug Administration for changing food labels so that a normal person can understand what she is eating. My view: It took them long enough.

When obesity is the No. 1 killer in America, it begs the question, was the FDA asleep at the wheel? After a 20-year slumber, the FDA decided to overhaul ingredient labels. Their primary focus is on making serving sizes and calorie information larger. Really?

When 1 in 5 people is dying from this preventable death, it seems to me that moving around the same information and making it bigger will not have a major impact. If cigarettes now kill fewer people than obesity, wouldn’t it make sense to treat the two problems equally seriously?

Since we may not hear from the FDA for 20 more years, they should take a bold step and require front-facing labels on food and drink with appropriate warnings. That way, when a 16-year-old picks up the equivalent of a Big Gulp to eat or drink, she knows that it could cause health complications or even death.

Kudos to Michelle Obama for highlighting this issue. There is no silver bullet to end this epidemic. But everyone, including the FDA, can do their part.

Catherine York

co-founder, The Gilded Nut Snack Co.

Portland