First Lady's anti-obesity campaign gets industry endorsement

WASHINGTON First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative to cut obesity in America has received backing from a coalition of retailers and food firms.

The Partnership for a Healthier America signed an agreement with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, whose members are pledging to take actions aimed at reducing 1.5 trillion product calories by the end of 2015. As an interim step to this goal, HWCF will seek to reduce calories by 1 trillion in 2012, according to a White House press release.

Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation manufacturing companies will pursue their calorie reduction goals by growing and introducing lower-calorie options; changing product recipes where possible to lower the calorie content of current products; or reducing portion sizes of existing single-serve products. These changes will help Americans reduce their calorie intake, improve their overall nutrition and close the energy gap.

Companies participating in the program include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Kellogg.

“Solving the obesity epidemic requires far more than anything government can do alone and today’s announcement represents an important step forward to providing Americans with healthier choices so that they can choose to lead healthier lives,” said Mrs. Obama, serves as honorary chair of the Partnership for a Healthier America. “This is precisely the kind of private sector commitment we need.”