FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grocery Manufacturers Association Applauds HHS 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
Contact:
Scott Openshaw, Director, Communications, 202-295-3957
Brian Kennedy, Director, Communications, 202-639-5994
October 7, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) today applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The new guidelines were released today by HHS and can be found at http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/Default.aspx.
“Encouraging healthy lifestyles is a top priority for the food and beverage industry,” said Grocery Manufacturers Association Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Regulatory Affairs Officer Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D. “The HHS 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans is a wonderful tool families can use to help achieve energy balance and promote healthy weight. A healthy diet combined with regular physical activity is the key to healthful living.”
In 2007 the food and beverage industry, through the American Council on Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) in partnership with PE4Life and the American Dietetic Association Foundation (ADAF), launched the Healthy Schools Partnership pilot program in four Kansas City-area schools. More than 1,000 students in fifth through ninth grades took part in the 12-week pilot during fall 2007.
The Partnership’s innovative approach to addressing the childhood obesity epidemic is based on the already existing success of PE4Life’s proven model of getting kids active now and adding a new nutrition component developed by ACFN and the ADAF. To deliver the program’s educational components, seven Registered Dietitian nutrition coaches worked side by side with the schools’ physical education teachers. The content of the pilot's nutrition curriculum is focused on teaching the importance of calories and energy balance through interactive physical education classes and weekly nutrition topics.
Last year GMA, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and MatchPoint Marketing launched an in-store promotion campaign –Take a Peak into MyPyramid —to provide information about MyPyramid and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines to consumers in the grocery store aisles where shoppers ultimately make their food choices. Through clear and simple in-store point-of-purchase messaging, Take a Peak provides easy-to-follow advice that shows consumers how small, progressive changes in their product purchasing habits can improve their diets and their health.
Also, over recent years, food and beverage companies have introduced more than 10,000 new and reformulated products with more whole grains and fiber, reduced calories, reduced saturated fat, zero trans fat and lower sodium and sugar. During this same period, many food companies have also introduced 100-calorie packaging, smaller sizes for children and similar forms of portion controlled offerings and are investing millions of dollars in initiatives that educate consumers on the importance of a healthy diet and increased physical activity.
For more information on the food and beverage industry’s commitment to health and wellness, including data and statistics, click here to read GMA’s Industry Report on Health and Wellness. http://www.gmaonline.org/publications/docs/HealthWellness_07_FINAL.pdf
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Based in Washington, D.C., the Grocery Manufacturers Association is the voice of more than 300 leading food, beverage and consumer product companies that sustain and enhance the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the globe. Founded in 1908, GMA is an active, vocal advocate for its member companies and a trusted source of information about the industry and the products consumers rely on and enjoy every day. The association and its member companies are committed to meeting the needs of consumers through product innovation, responsible business practices and effective public policy solutions developed through a genuine partnership with policymakers and other stakeholders. In keeping with its founding principles, GMA helps its members produce safe products through a strong and ongoing commitment to scientific research, testing and evaluation and to providing consumers with the products, tools and information they need to achieve a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. The food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry in the United States generates sales of $2.1 trillion annually, employs 14 million workers and contributes $1 trillion in added value to the economy every year.
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