Nation's Leading Food Manufacturers Assist in Combating Childhood Obesity

On October 6, 2008, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation announced it would be collaborating with: Campbell soup, Dannon, Kraft Foods, Mars and Pepsi to create healthier snacks for child consumption in schools. The new foods offered will be lower in calories and fat, thus giving students a first hand opportunity to actively carry out the nutrition habits they learn in the classroom.

Now that such major companies have publicly addressed the presence of childhood obesity in America as being partially a result of poor nutrition, I hope that other companies will take the step to change their products for the better. Making a company’s food products more nutritious can only have positive results, so why not make the change?

Former President Clinton said in regards to this change, “Ensuring that children have healthier food choices at school is another critical step in the fight against childhood obesity, I'm proud of these five companies for making an important statement about this health challenge and an even more important commitment to doing something about it. What we are setting in motion with these guidelines will dramatically change the kind of food that children have access to at school. It will take time, but through coalitions like this of industry and the non-profit sector, we are going to make a real difference in the lives of millions of children by helping them eat healthier and live healthier.”