Would exercise requirements on labels promote healthy eating?

There is no denying that there is an obesity epidemic in the United States. But how do you combat this problem? Americans are busier than ever and exercise often gets dropped off the to-do list. So how do you inspire and encourage change?

One of the biggest problems facing our country is education. Many Americans want to make healthy food choices but with confusing food labels (and quite honestly, no clear consensus on what is healthy) it can be challenging. Should you choose fat-free? Is it okay to eat fats as long as they are “healthy fats”? And what are healthy fats? And while there are no proven effects of consuming diet sodas, should we really be consuming the beverage? And what do those labels with their confusing numbers and percentages really mean?

A study from John Hopkins University found that when soft drinks had labels stating that it would take 50 minutes of jogging to work off the calories and sugar from the drink, teens were less likely to purchase the soda and more likely to select water.

Food labels that contain exercise requirements are not the only proposed food labeling changes. Traffic light food labels have also been suggested, where green means healthy and red means to eat only on occasion or never.

What do you think is the best idea for changing food labels?