Not to completely disagree with (I agree with the core idea of nutrition being important) but calories are not the end all be all. Not even close, the more science behind nutrition is developing.

Diets like Paleo/Primal specifically target overall health versus calories in/out. By healing the gut, getting adequate micronutrients (which most people are not), and adjusting lifestyle (correct sleep patterns, meal timing, less alcohol/drugs, ect) our bodies regulate to a much healthier weight without counting calories. Majority of people could improve their body composition this way without doing any kind of exercise. And a lot of the time with more calories being taken in (faster metabolism).

Overall making sure our hormones, digestion, and nutrient levels are much more important to our well being and body composition then calorie counting. But yes, nutrition is important to everyone and should be taught at an early age. Just not by the US Government otherwise we will end up with more of the consequences that we initially got from adopting the food pyramid. Ie, the worst health epidemic of the late 20th century...