Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation Receives Healthier Future Award
Partnership for a Healthier America CEO Honors HWCF and Members for Efforts
Washington, D.C. (April 13, 2016) – The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) has recognized The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) for removing 6.4 trillion calories from the United States food supply as part of the food and beverage industry’s effort to address obesity rates among children and adults.
“At PHA, our goal is to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. The private sector plays a critical role in making this a reality. HWCF has successfully led its member food and beverage companies to reduce trillions of calories from the food supply and we are very proud to recognize their progress,” said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler.
In 2010, HWCF members pledged to cut 1.5 trillion calories from the food supply by the end 2015. The pledge was made to PHA, a not-for-profit organization, working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis within a generation.
In January of 2014, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced that the 16 food and beverage companies acting together as part of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation actually removed 6.4 trillion calories from the food supply by the end of 2012, exceeding the original goal by 400 percent increase and 3 years ahead of time. The 6.4 trillion calorie mark translates to 78 fewer calories consumed per person per day in the U.S.
“The successful completion of our calorie reduction pledge is a strong symbol of the food and beverage industry’s commitment to helping reduce obesity – especially childhood obesity. Collaboration and trust between food and beverage companies, PHA, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the White House and the First Lady was essential to our success,” said Becky Johnson, HWCF Executive Director.
To meet the goal, all of the HWCF member companies worked diligently to reduce calories in the marketplace by either introducing new lower-calorie products, single-serve packages and/or changing the recipes of existing products.
The calorie commitment results were monitored, evaluated and confirmed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and its independent evaluator, Barry Popkin, PhD, the W.R. Kennan, Jr., Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina.
PHA’s Healthier Future Award is the organization’s recognition of a job well done when a multi-year commitment comes to the end of its term. Mr. Soler presented the Healthier Future Award to Ms. Johnson at a HWCF event in Washington, D.C.
“I proudly accept PHA’s award on behalf of the Foundation and its member companies,” said Ms. Johnson. “This project demonstrates the positive role public-private partnerships can play in developing responsible solutions for the most important challenges facing our country and the world.”
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The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most importantly, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased, third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making to show everyone what can be achieved when we all work together. Founded in 2010 in conjunction with – but independent from – Lets Move!, PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity advocates. Supporting our effort is our honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama, alongside our honorary vice-chairmen The Honorable William H. Frist, MD, and US Senator Cory A. Booker (D-NJ). Our board of directors also includes nationally recognized business leaders, advocates, health professionals and thought leaders from a variety of backgrounds.
About the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation: The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), formed in 2009, is a CEO-led organization whose national, multiyear effort is designed to help reduce obesity—especially childhood obesity. In just five years, HWCF members have already removed 6.4 trillion calories from the marketplace, which represents a 78 calorie reduction per person, per day. It is a first-of-its–kind coalition that brings together more than 300 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations. HWCF promotes ways to help people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance—calories in and calories out. It focuses its efforts on two critical areas—families and schools—through its Together Counts™ campaign which is used by over 34.5 million students across the country.