NEW YORK, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to propose labeling this fall for the front of food and drink packages to help Americans make healthier choices to address exploding obesity rates, years after other countries took similar action, reported The Washington Post on Friday.

The labels are supposed to flag products containing high levels of sodium, saturated fat or added sugars -- common features of ultra-processed foods that make up more than half of the calories Americans consume each day, and the labeling options under consideration by the FDA still need to be clear enough to protect Americans' health, some nutrition experts and lawmakers say.

Senator Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate health committee who has proposed a stricter system, was quoted as saying that "other countries understand that childhood obesity is a major health crisis. We've got to do the same."

Food companies are pushing against the addition of labels to the fronts of packaged foods and dispute the FDA's argument that doing so can affect Americans' food choices and obesity rates.

Industry representatives warn that such requirements would drive up food prices. They question whether the FDA has the authority to enact such sweeping changes and say companies have grounds to potentially sue the federal government over limiting commercial free speech.

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. children are obese, nearly four times the rate in the 1970s before the proliferation of ultra-processed food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several studies have identified these industrially produced, hyper-palatable foods as risk factors for chronic diseases shortening life spans in the United States. Enditem

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