Calories In, Calories Out: It's Not Rocket Science!

On Monday October 5th an unprecedented coalition of more than 40 retailers, non-governmental organizations and food and beverage manufacturers announced the launch of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity - especially childhood obesity - by 2015.  The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation will promote ways to help people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance.  It focuses on three critical areas - the marketplace, the work place and schools.

Obesity is a serious problem that affects public health, worker productivity and the quality of life of millions of Americans.  It is a complex problem that requires education and behavior change focus on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity.

The overweight and obesity crisis in this country did not happen overnight.  Macroeconomic and cultural changes, combined with changes in eating patterns and physical activity over the course of several generations brought us to this point.

As one of the key stakeholders when it comes to obesity, over the last decade the food and beverage industry has - and continues to - transform the way it does business to provide consumers with the products and tools they need to help them to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

The industry has already introduced and reformulated over 10,000 healthier products, and is committed to doing a lot more.  It has developed or invested in numerous nation-wide programs that promote and educate Americans on the habits that constitute a healthy lifestyle.  It has voluntarily changed its marketing and advertising practices.

The Healthy Weight Commitment is by far the most comprehensive and ambitious anti-obesity effort that the food and beverage industry has ever been a part of.  The industry touches millions of consumers every day and believes that it can help make a difference by putting its collective effort behind key initiatives to help people go about their daily lives - at work, at school and in the marketplace - to balance the calories they eat with those that they burn.

To learn exactly how the Healthy Weight Commitment plans to do this visit www.healthyweightcommit.org