Overview

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a CEO-led organization, is a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity–especially childhood obesity–by 2015. It’s a first-of-its kind coalition that brings together more than 100 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and insurance companies, trade associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and professional sports organizations. The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation promotes ways to help people achieve a healthy weight through energy balance–calories in and calories out. It focuses on three critical areas–the marketplace, the workplace and schools.

Connecting with Consumers in the Marketplace: Participating companies are committed to enhancing existing efforts by changing their products, packaging and labeling to make it easier for consumers to manage their calorie intake while preserving or improving overall nutrition quality. Specific options companies may undertake include: product reformulation and innovation; offering smaller portions; redesigning packaging and labeling; placing calorie information on the front of products; providing consumers with information and educational materials; and in-store promotion of the initiative. 

Empowering Employees in the Workplace: Participating companies will undertake new or enhance existing programs to help employees achieve and maintain a healthy weight. This may include providing calorie information and healthier food and beverage options in cafeterias, vending machines and break rooms; enabling access to exercise at work through individual and group activities; offering weight management programs; and implementing tools to track progress, such as health risk appraisals.
 
Creating Healthy Habits in Schools: The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation will expand the successful Healthy Schools Partnership to additional schools in Kansas City and Des Moines. This expansion follows a successful pilot in Kansas City. The Healthy Schools Partnership integrates nutrition education and physical education through a school-based curriculum to help children develop lifelong positive healthy habits. The Healthy Schools Partnership was developed by the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition Foundation, PE4life, and the American Dietetic Association Foundation.