And people don't realize that it's the easiest, cheapest jumping off point to being a thousand times healthier in every way. Every fucking way.
It's seriously difficult. Obvious first step: no soda. I did that a few years ago. My solution to the rest was to stop eating dessert, basically. You'll get nickel and dimed on a meal by meal basis -- that's just a practically inevitable part of living/shopping/cooking in the States. So I stopped bothering with cake and candy and such to make sure I didn't shoot over the limit. Exceptions: dessert I make myself, which is rare as hell; the odd fruit juice with vitamin A and C.
Yep, I generally don't drink soda and I haven't for a decade or more. Some sugar is ok, especially just after working out as it helps absorb proteins. And of course in fruit, that's pretty unavoidable. Anyway, while I agree that there's an obesity epidemic in the States, there is also a diabetes epidemic and I think that really needs some more attention. Fortified foods are a big culprit, as is fast food. What can you expect the poor to eat though, when vegetables are criminally expensive?
Seriously, everyone gets diabetes and we all know why. And it's not like the megacorporations are going to own their actions, so change has to come at a personal level. My granddad is essentially living in hell on earth right now because of diabetes, and he wasn't terribly unhealthy (bit of an alcoholic) -- he just lived in the US for 75 years. It's that easy. Post workout smoothie has 15-20 grams of sugar in it, I just checked. Mostly from milk. Bit high but acceptable.