As a physician, I know that solving the… obesity epidemic requires far more than anything government can do alone and today’s announcement by the food and beverage industry of its new, easy to use, fact-based, front-of-package labeling system… [provides] exactly the kind of vital information parents need to make good choices for their kids.

I believe that the best way to combat childhood obesity is to arm parents with the proper nutritional information. It is great that the food industry is leading the effort to provide this information to them in an easy to see, convenient manner. This simple, new front-of-package labeling system is a perfect example of… empowering families to make proper dietary decisions on their own.

My mother was fond of telling us that if we knew better, she believed that we would do better. To have knowledge is to have power; therefore, I commend the food and beverage industry for its new labeling program, which will help consumers to make more informed decisions about the foods and beverages they purchase for themselves and their families.

Today the food and beverage industry answered First Lady Michelle Obama's call for innovative industry initiatives to help address America’s childhood obesity epidemic. The industry’s new front-of-package labeling system… is exactly the kind of vital information parents need to make good choices for their families… and we applaud the industry for voluntarily stepping forward to help… educate consumers.

Consumers deserve to know what is in their food and how it can fit into a balanced and healthy diet. I applaud the food and beverage industry’s voluntary commitment to update their labels and provide easy-to-read uniform nutrition information… [putting] families, rather than the government, on the frontlines in combating obesity.

Easy access to information helps consumers make better decisions… I applaud the Consumer Brands Association and the Food Marketing institute for the steps they’ve taken to better inform consumers about their products’ nutritional facts. Industry-led improvements… diminish the need for government intervention in our lives and choices.

I applaud the food and beverage industry for announcing this new food labeling system. Providing front-of-package nutritional information will allow consumers to make informed decisions about the foods they buy for their families, therefore making it easier to eat healthy. This is an important step towards meeting First Lady Michelle Obama’s goal of curbing childhood obesity within a generation, and it deserves to be supported.

Our kids need all adults… to help them make healthy choices… [and] I am really proud that the food and beverage industry… is empowering families to make well-informed choices through its new, easy to use, fact-based, front-of-package labeling system… an important step in providing Americans with the necessary information to make healthier choices in leading healthier lives.

It is going to take all stakeholders working together with a constructive and proactive approach to address the childhood obesity epidemic. The food and beverage industry’s simple new front-of-package labeling system represents an important step forward in providing Americans with the information they need to make the healthy choice the easy choice.