2010 Dietiary Guidelines and Americans disordered eating

As a Registered Dietitian, I'm all for presenting your average American with guidelines on how to eat better, but I wonder, will these guidelines truly make a difference? I ask that because the USDA has been trying for years to inspire healthy eating in Americans with the Dietary Guidelines, yet each year more and more people are added to the ranks of the overweight and obese. How does one inspire people? What's more, just how responsible should the government be in ensuring everyone not only has access to fresh and nutritious food, but that the foods that are dangerous to our health are labeled as such. Should the government force Nabisco to add a Surgeon General's warning to a bag of Oreo's like they do with tobacco and alcohol?
When it comes to unhealthy foods, if it is suggested that the government step in, I have heard time and time again that people know what is unhealthy. Sure, everyone knows that double cheeseburger is not good for you, but do they really? That everything from the refined carbohydrates in the bun to the meat and cheese dripping with saturated fat is designed to raise your blood sugar and cholesterol, clog your arteries, lower your libido, and add yet another pound of unsightly fat. Okay, I'm slightly exaggerating the last part, one double cheeseburger won't add a pound, but if you're eating one, chances are you'll eat another at some point, maybe with fries and an overly sweet soft drink. It all adds up eventually.
My main thought through all this is how do we, as health professionals, the government or even just concerned foodies inspire the greater population to put that cheeseburger down and try something a little more healthy, preferably something with more complex carbs, more vegetables, and less fat?
Food is such a central part in everyone's life, mainly because food keeps us alive. Add onto that taste, culture, comfort, socioeconomic status and you have an idea of why people eat what they do. Some of it is so subcognitive, most people may not even know where to start when it comes to changing what they eat. I say, start small. You will never make a change if you try to do it all at once. For example, I recently lost six pounds. I made two changes to accomplish that- 1) I stopped drinking alcoholic beverages during the week and cut down weekend drinking to no more than 2-3 drinks and 2) I cut out coffee. I added so much sugar and cream to coffee to make it drinkable that my 12 oz coffee was about 300 calories of refined sugar and saturated fat. I switched to tea, cut the amount of sugar in half and switched from cream to milk.
To some, six pounds doesn't sound like a lot, especially when most weight loss goals are anywhere from 20 to 150 pounds, but you have to start somewhere. I know if I made a couple other dietary changes and, more importantly, started exercising, I could reach my goal in no time. I just need some inspiration.