I think the workplace concern is worth trying to improve. (Certainly, I've been in tech companies that encourage snacks consumption. Many people end up eating a lot more than they would otherwise, as they sit at their keyboards, with breaks that consist of walking to the snack room/cafeteria and back.)

But regarding a particular person, I suppose that friends and family members don't want to be reading random Internet commenters' speculation about that person's health and passing.

Maybe bring up the general problem in an HN post, with a link to an informative article?