# Presentation: 862582

## The Food Industry Response to Encourage Healthier Eating

**The Food Industry Response to Encourage Healthier Eating**

- National Obesity Prevention Conference
- October 25-27, 2004 • Hyatt Regency Hotel • Bethesda, MD

- Mark Nelson, PhD
- Vice President, Scientific & Regulatory Policy

## Grocery Manufacturers of America

- World’s largest association of food, beverage and consumer product companies
- Over 2.5 million employees in all 50 states
- US sales over $500 billion
- Board of Directors – 44 CEOs
- Addresses public policy and industry issues affecting its members

## The Food Industry Response

- Product Choices
*Meeting consumer needs*
- Actionable Information
*Getting the message out*
- Going Forward
*Needed research*

## Meeting consumer needs for taste, quality, convenience and health.
Composition
Low / reduced sodium products
Reduced / low / no fat products
Incremental reductions in calories, sodium
Removal / reduction of trans fats
Whole grains, increased fiber

- Composition
- Low / reduced sodium products
- Reduced / low / no fat products
- Incremental reductions in calories, sodium
- Removal / reduction of trans fats
- Whole grains, increased fiber

- Product Choices

## Meeting consumer needs for taste, quality, convenience and health.
Presentation
Single serve / multi serve packaging
Childrens’ portion sizes 
Semi-prepared fruits and vegetables
Ready-to-eat foods
Meal kits

- Presentation
- Single serve / multi serve packaging
- Childrens’ portion sizes
- Semi-prepared fruits and vegetables
- Ready-to-eat foods
- Meal kits

- Product Choices

## Actionable Information 

*Getting the message out*
- Nutrient Content Claims
- “Low fat” “excellent source of fiber” “reduced sodium”
- Flags to help consumers
- identify products that suit their individual needs and preferences, and
- make in-store comparisons between products easier
- Qualified Health Claims
- Empower consumers to make smart choices by providing clear, accurate information about nutrition.
- GMA strongly supports FDA’s pre-market notification system
- Incentive to food industry develop and market new nutritious products

## Getting the message out
Nutrition Labeling – 
IFIC and GMA consumer research, coordinated with FDA
How 
consumers use the food label to obtain calorie information. 
to more effectively communicate calories in single serving packages. 
calorie labeling might impact consumer behavior. 
Label changes will not be a silver bullet
Consumers want more useful information
E.g., serving size, %DV education

- Nutrition Labeling –* *
- IFIC and GMA consumer research, coordinated with FDA
- How
- consumers use the food label to obtain calorie information.
- to more effectively communicate calories in single serving packages.
- calorie labeling might impact consumer behavior.
- Label changes will not be a silver bullet
- Consumers want more useful information
- E.g., serving size, %DV education

- Actionable Information

## Getting the message out
US Dietary Guidelines 
Make them relevant and achievable 
Individuals need to develop appropriate lifestyle plans that allow them to make small improvements in eating and physical activity patterns that over time add up and move them closer to meeting the recommendations of the Guidelines. 
Recognize the contribution of appropriate sugar, salt and fat in enhancing the acceptability of nutrient-dense foods
Balance energy intake with energy expenditure
To achieve optimum health, individuals need to maintain a balance between the number of calories consumed and calories burned through daily activities and regular exercise.  

- US Dietary Guidelines
- Make them relevant and achievable
*Individuals need to develop appropriate lifestyle plans that allow them to make small improvements in eating and physical activity patterns that over time add up and move them closer to meeting the recommendations of the Guidelines.*
- Recognize the contribution of appropriate sugar, salt and fat in enhancing the acceptability of nutrient-dense foods
- Balance energy intake with energy expenditure
*To achieve optimum health, individuals need to maintain a balance between the number of calories consumed and calories burned through daily activities and regular exercise.*

- Actionable Information

## Getting the message out
The Food Guide Pyramid
Keep the shape of the Pyramid 
Prioritize the recommended changes in the food supply and dietary habits 
Harmonize educational information across ALL consumer touch points---including Dietary Guidelines, the Food Guidance Pyramid, and the Nutrition Facts Panel. 
Base the number of servings on 2000 kcal diet to align with the food nutrition label on foods
E.g., 9 servings of fruits/vegetables vs. range of servings based on caloric intake 

- The Food Guide Pyramid
- Keep the shape of the Pyramid
- Prioritize the recommended changes in the food supply and dietary habits
- Harmonize educational information across ALL consumer touch points---including Dietary Guidelines, the Food Guidance Pyramid, and the Nutrition Facts Panel.
- Base the number of servings on 2000 kcal diet to align with the food nutrition label on foods
- E.g., 9 servings of fruits/vegetables vs. range of servings based on caloric intake

- Actionable Information

## Getting the message out
GMA members 
are committed to responsible advertising, especially when it comes to children. 
are enlisting widespread support among food companies for self-regulation as administered by CARU 
Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) 
is informing policy-makers and the public about its principles, guidelines and decisions applicable to food advertising www.narcpartners.org/narcwhitepaper.aspx 
is focusing its monitoring and educational efforts on the food sector 
has a new program, funded by GMA, to monitor advertising to children in Spanish-language media.

- GMA members
- are committed to responsible advertising, especially when it comes to children.
- are enlisting widespread support among food companies for self-regulation as administered by CARU
- Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU)
- is informing policy-makers and the public about its principles, guidelines and decisions applicable to food advertising _[www.narcpartners.org/narcwhitepaper.aspx](http://www.narcpartners.org/narcwhitepaper.aspx)_
- is focusing its monitoring and educational efforts on the food sector
- has a new program, funded by GMA, to monitor advertising to children in Spanish-language media.

- Actionable Information

## Getting the message out
Positive, motivational messages drive successful behavioral change
Consumers do not respond well to restrictions, negativity, preaching: “Calories Count” not “Count Calories” 
Industry is prepared to use its marketing capabilities to communicate healthy lifestyle messages to consumers 
Multiple media: from labeling to advertising to websites
Multiple channels: from retail customers to the workplace
GMA members support efforts to 
increase physical activity and enhance nutrition education 
through partnerships with other stakeholders including public health authorities, healthcare, educational, government and others. 

- Positive, motivational messages drive successful behavioral change
- Consumers do not respond well to restrictions, negativity, preaching: *“Calories Count” *not *“Count Calories” *
- Industry is prepared to use its marketing capabilities to communicate healthy lifestyle messages to consumers
- Multiple media: from labeling to advertising to websites
- Multiple channels: from retail customers to the workplace
- GMA members support efforts to
- increase physical activity and enhance nutrition education
- through partnerships with other stakeholders including public health authorities, healthcare, educational, government and others.

- Actionable Information

## Getting the message out
The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) 
is a non-profit association of more than 90 organizations
is guided by an Advisory Board of experts in the fields of nutrition, physical activity and behavior change 
serves as a resource for consumers, professionals, educators, government and media in promoting healthy lifestyles; and
advocates for lasting initiatives to help solve the obesity problem.
www.acfn.org 
ACFN to identify state and local “Best Practices” 
Current data on consumers’ successes and challenges
Submitted a “partnership” proposal to HHS to jointly conduct a national conference on these programs

- The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN)
- is a non-profit association of more than 90 organizations
- is guided by an Advisory Board of experts in the fields of nutrition, physical activity and behavior change
- serves as a resource for consumers, professionals, educators, government and media in promoting healthy lifestyles; and
- advocates for lasting initiatives to help solve the obesity problem.
- _[www.acfn.org](http://www.acfn.org/)__ _
- ACFN to identify state and local “Best Practices”
- Current data on consumers’ successes and challenges
- Submitted a “partnership” proposal to HHS to jointly conduct a national conference on these programs

- Actionable Information

## Going Forward 

*Needed Research*
- Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research
- Essentially, obesity results from an energy imbalance.
- The increase in obesity has been fueled by a complex interplay of environmental, social, economic, and behavioral factors, acting on a background of genetic susceptibility.
- What don’t we know?

**Notes:**
Pharmaceutical rule of thumb: Two types of effects of a drug – those we know, those we don’t know

Responses of stakeholders to date are based on what we know, or think we know.

Primary need for good fact-based information - 

## Going Forward 

*Needed Research*
- Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, General Research Recommendation 3.
- Establish a system for ongoing systematic reviews on key nutrition and physical activity topics relevant to dietary guidance for the general public.
- A system to conduct ongoing evidence-based reviews . . . is in keeping with the Federal Data Quality Act.
- CORET - Collaborative Obesity Research Evaluation Team
- A global team of experts to create a definitive compendium of obesity research
- Led by University of California-Davis Nutrition Department (UCD) and Universiteit Maastricht (UM)
- Two panels of international experts to establish criteria for evaluating published research
- _[www.nutrition.ucdavis.edu/core](http://www.nutrition.ucdavis.edu/coret)__[t](http://www.nutrition.ucdavis.edu/coret)_

**Notes:**
Pharmaceutical rule of thumb: Two types of effects of a drug – those we know, those we don’t know

Responses of stakeholders to date are based on what we know, or think we know.

Primary need for good fact-based information - 

## Going Forward 

*Needed Research*
- Research the effectiveness of using adult-based dietary guidelines for children
- impact on their health and/or metabolism
- Impact on dietary intakes and patterns later in life
- Research the barriers for complying with the *DGA*
- children, low-income populations, various ethnic groups
- identify mechanisms to motivate individuals to change their eating behaviors and habits
- Develop and test both individual- and population-based interventions designed to implement the *DGA*

**Notes:**
Pharmaceutical rule of thumb: Two types of effects of a drug – those we know, those we don’t know

Responses of stakeholders to date are based on what we know, or think we know.

Primary need for good fact-based information - 

## The Food Industry Response

- Industry can make positive contributions in reducing and preventing obesity and chronic disease
- Through product offerings and communications efforts
- Make the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid a part of their lifestyles
- Create a “roadmap” for consumers to set achievable goals.
- Prioritize the dietary and nutrition changes with the biggest impact on improving overall health
- Neither consumers nor industry can make all the recommended changes overnight.
- All government agencies need to speak as one
- Communicate consistent nutrition messages across all platforms.
- Establish public/private partnerships that will extend the reach of the DGA and FGP nutrition messages.