PepsiCo pledges support to Michelle Obama's campaign to reduce childhood obesity
Let's Move was announced this week by Michelle Obama to increase the health and wellbeing of children in the United States. As part of our support of the campaign, PepsiCo has announced a variety of ongoing and new partnerships and projects.
15 February 2010
In the United States, childhood obesity rates have tripled in the last three decades and it is estimated that almost one in three children are overweight or obese. Instances of childhood obesity have reached the point where it is having a negative effect on US economy and even national security - obesity is one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.
The projects announced by PepsiCo in the United States cover a wide variety of areas - but all with the aim of reducing childhood obesity.
- PepsiCo have pledged to list the calorie content on the front of its beverage containers, vending machines and fountain equipment by the end of 2012 to help consumers manage their calorie consumption. Packages up to 570mls will be labelled with total calories and multi-serve containers will be labelled with calories-per-servings based on 340ml servings.
- PepsiCo Hope was launched in 2009 to help inner-city communities by increasing access to affordable nutrition and creating local employment in inner-city neighbourhoods. The program was piloted in Dallas and, with the help of 150 PepsiCo volunteers, delivered over 50,000 free nutritious breakfasts and snacks to underserved children.
- To protect children from irresponsible advertising, PepsiCo helped found the Children's Food & Beverage Initiative in 2007, a self-regulatory industry organisation for the US. PepsiCo has pledged to not advertise products to children under 12 unless they meet science-based nutrition criteria.
- PepsiCo has pledged to introduce the US School Beverage and Competitive Foods Guidelines which restrict the type products that are available in schools. By implementing these guidelines, PepsiCo and its industry partners will ship more than 70% fewer beverage calories to schools in 2010 as compared to 2004.
- Through the Gatorade brand, PepsiCo supports a variety of projects that encourage kids to be more active. This includes supporting summer camps which are attended by over 500,000, its sponsorship of the Women's Sports Foundation which provides $100,000 in grants, and the Player of the Year / Athlete of the Year programme.
Read the full press release.
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