> Ultimately the consumer is the only one capable of making the thousand choices a day necessary.

In an ideal world that would be the case. But in an era of mass media, consumers really aren't making the choice. The choice is being made for them by ads.

> I'm not sure where the idea comes from that it that some government regulator should or even can micromanage the diet of ordinary citizens.

Pretty much everything a supermarket, restaurant, etc sells is regulated by the government. Whether you like it or not, government is involved in our diets.

> Do some people actually want to live in a world where some bureaucrat manages their diet?

A geniunely independent bureacrat? Maybe. On the other hand, do you want a world where corporations with their ads control your diet? It's a complex question.