beverage companies cut 6.4 trillion calories from products in past five years

Food and beverage companies are trying to help Americans fight obesity by cutting more than 6 trillion calories from their products over a five-year span, an independent review discovered.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said on Thursday that 16 of the top food and beverage manufacturers sold 54 trillion calories in 2012, compared to 60.4 trillion calories in 2007. RWJF is a non-profit organization dedicated to health and health care issues in the United States.

“It’s extremely encouraging to hear that these leading companies appear to have substantially exceeded their calorie-reduction pledge,” Dr. James S. Marks, senior vice president and director of the Health Group at RWJF, said in a press release. “They must sustain that reduction, as they’ve pledged to do, and other food companies should follow their lead to give Americans the lower-calorie foods and beverages they want.”

In 2009, more than 40 of the largest retailers, non-profit organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and trade associations started the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) alongside the Partnership for Healthier America. The foundation's goal was to lower obesity rates by 2015, with a particular focus on childhood obesity.

Sixteen companies took a further pledge to remove 1 trillion calories from store shelves by 2012 and 1.5 trillion calories by 2015. The companies -- Bumble Bee Foods LLC, Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra Foods (including Ralston Foods), General Mills Inc., Hillshire Brands (formerly Sara Lee Corporation), Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods Group/Mondelez, Mars Incorporated, McCormick & Company Inc., Nestle USA, PepsiCo Inc., Post Foods, the Coca-Cola Company, the Hershey Company, the J.M. Smucker Company and Unilever -- have manufactured 36 percent of all calories in packaged foods and beverages in the U.S. since 2007.

So far, the companies have beat their promise by more than 400 percent. The calorie decreases equal about 78 fewer calories sold to each person in the U.S. per day.

Lisa Gable of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation told the Associated Press that the findings “exceeded our expectations.”

"This is a very significant shift in the marketplace," she said.

The companies created new lower-calorie options, reformulated current food products and changed portion sizes.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers tracked the changing data on the food and beverage items and their sales over this time period. Their full, peer-reviewed study will be published later this year.

“The companies whose sales we analyzed have a big influence over the foods and beverages almost every American eats and drinks every day,” lead researcher Barry Popkin, the W.R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health at UNC, said in a press release. “The evaluation system we’ve created will enable to us to determine how changes to what’s sold influences what people consume.”

However, Jeff Levi, executive director of non-profit advocacy group Trust for America's Health, told Reuters that people should not assume that just because food and beverage companies are lowering calorie counts that our obesity problems will be solved.

Other significant sources of calories in the U.S. diet are from fast food and restaurants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined in Feb. 2013 that 11 percent of an U.S. adult’s calories come from fast food. Other recent reports, including May 2013 research in BMJ, showed that adults and especially teens underestimated the amount of calories in fast food meals by as much as 34 percent. Two more studies out that month in JAMA Internal Medicine found that restaurants and small food chains leave few choices for those looking to cut calories.

"Particularly with kids, there is a role for regulation,” Levi said.
© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc.

" Raw Food " Make Women 29 Year Superficial Teen

Eating raw foods such as nuts , seeds , fruits , and vegetables may not sound too appetizing , but that's what makes Susan Reynolds ( 29 ) is often mistaken for adolescents aged 16 years .As early as seven years ago he stopped eating cooked food . Instead , she chose to eat fruits , vegetables , grains , and nuts are not through the cooking process before crude alias .This slim figure every day eating dozens of servings of fruits and vegetables . He even created a number of recipes to make meal menu more interesting and not boring .Such a diet is not started Susan since childhood . While still a teenager to college , Susan lifestyle even remotely healthy , he's eating junk food , to alcohol . But after taking a yoga class in India , suddenly changing his diet too .At that time , she decided to become a vegetarian and practiced yoga teacher before finally resorting to eating " raw food " . Susan said , he went to eat at the restaurant Red Sugar in Edinburgh that serves raw food . The restaurant owner explained a little about the diet before he came home ." And it turns out I immediately feel the benefits in a single day . Since then , I no longer eat hot food during the last seven years , " he said .According to Susan , the advantages undergo diet " raw food " very much , such as getting a clearer mind , positive , healthier body , energetic , and able to take better decisions ." Someone else commented on the better body odor , skin fresher and younger look . People say I look good for my age . Emotionally I also balanced and happy , " he said .Susan also developed a hobby as well as his diet into a business called Twist and Sprout offers a way to introduce the " raw food " on a day-to- day diet .Since deciding to shift to a " raw food " , Susan also makes the closest people to follow his lifestyle . Even his mother recover from neurological disease called acute fatigue syndrome by switching to diet " raw food " .

5 Secrets Able to Run Long Distance

Almost every week , found distance running competitions or known as the marathon , especially in big cities . This kind of competition was never quiet interested participants . Yes , this one sport is being loved .

Marathon is a sport that requires a strong immune system . How not to run a marathon distance can reach dozens to tens of kilometers . To get a strong endurance , of course you need to be diligent routine practice .

But not only require strong physical , it turns out running a marathon also requires mental readiness . By Tina Haupert fitness practitioners from the U.S. , the mental preparedness will help physically while doing a marathon.

Well, so you are mentally ready and able to run long distances , Haupert gives the following tips .1 . for the distanceIf you have to run as far as 20 miles , total distance do not think , however, divide the distance into four or three , for example, a 5 km . This will make up your mind not overly burdened with the distance that you have not passed . Running activity was better able you manage , for example, the first 5 miles at 7 minutes per one km , 5 km further on you can increase the speed again , and so on .

2 . Determine the purposeRather than just thinking about distance running that overload your mind , Hupert advised to determine the purpose of running in running your route . " For example in the route , you will pass three schools , then just think you are running to get to school . Do not just focus on distance and speed gauges you alone , " he said .

3 . Invite a friendResearch shows that exercise performed with friends will be more motivating . Especially in long-distance running , friends will distract you at a distance and make running more fun activities .

4 . Say the words of motivationAccording Hupert , motivational words will encourage you in the middle of running fatigue . Motivational words like "you're stronger than you think " , or " do not give up " or " the best results come from hard struggle " you might say in the middle of a run.

5 . Imagine you 're in a world class competitionWhen in important competitions , you would position yourself stronger than usual . Especially if you think anyone is watching and watching as you run . Well , then always think you 're in a competition that makes you not allow yourself to stop or walk in the middle of a marathon .

Create great pumpkin Diet, Good for Anti-HIV

Pumpkins often used as a healthy food of Native Americans. Thus, Americans believe pumpkins including a delicious fruit and is safe to consume even moderate diet.


Still not sure of the health benefits of pumpkin ? as reported by Care2 , Saturday (10/12/2013 ) ninth try to check the following benefits of pumpkin.

1 . Source of complex carbohydratesPumpkin is a source of complex carbohydrates that can help provide energy for the body .

2 . rich in fiberpumpkin has a lot of fiber which can help the digestive system . Keep in mind , one cup of pumpkin has three grams of fiber .

3 . effective dietAlso high in fiber can help weight loss .

4 . Have a high beta caroteneBrilliant orange color indicates a high content of beta carotene . Beta carotene is a precursor ( inactive form ) of vitamin A. That is, except for the eyes , pumpkin is also good for keeping the body's immune system .

5 . Can camouflage scarsPumpkin can help to protect the healing skin as sun damage and can even help disguise scars 

6 . Reduce risk of cancerBeta carotene in pumpkin may reduce the risk of cancer . A diet high in beta carotene has been associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers , including breast , prostate , lung , cervix ( cervical ) and skin cancer .

7 . stay fitPumpkin can help balance electrolytes after exercise . This is because the pumpkin contains more potassium than a banana (comparison , 564 milligrams of potassium and 422 milligrams on a pumpkin on a banana ) .

8 . ward off the fluPumpkin can help ward off colds and flu . Cooked pumpkin contains 11 milligrams of vitamin C.

9 . anti- HIVBeta- carotene in pumpkin was also able to increase the overall immunity . In a study conducted on people with HIV , researchers found that people who regularly consume pumpkin , decreased the risk of HIV infection .

Celebrity style trends Corset Diet , Says Make Skinny But Danger

Believe it or not , simply by wearing a piece of clothing can lose weight ? Amazing is not it ? Apparently, the way the corset diet .

Pretty woman wearing a corset for a few hours a day in order to slim body .

Jessica Alba in April in the magazine Net - a- Porter explains , he was on a diet to lose weight after two pregnancies . So what is the diet Alba ?

" I'm wearing a corset doubles everyday and at night for three months , " said Alba .

" It perspire , but worth it , " he said as quoted Women Health mag , Thursday (10/10/2013) .

Glamour Boutique , a company that sells corsets with steel bones designed for weight loss . The company recommends customers start using steel bone corset 4-5 inches smaller in size than the size of the waist .

Wear the corset for three to six hours a day . Wearing a corset is said to maintain a healthy diet and exercise because exercise helps your waist . But, is this really the way to work ?

" In short , no , " said Keri Peterson , MD , a physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City .

" It's outrageous , and not in any medical sense , " he said .

Corsets can only make the wearer look thinner while wearing them . But physically can not change the size .

According to Peterson , if anyone lost weight due to wear corsets , it is because the clothes make the wearer feel very uncomfortable to eat . And automated , fewer calories are consumed.

In the interview Alba also said, while wearing her corset so sweaty that helped her lose weight. But, according to Peterson that way will not help you lose weight in the long term. Moreover, wearing a corset can harm you in some way.


Peterson explained, corset diet potentially cause acid reflux (due to the pressure in the abdomen). It makes the wearer difficulty breathing deeply (due to pressure on the diaphragm and lungs).

"If you can not breathe deeply, you can not dispense efficiently," said Peterson.


Not to mention, the way it is almost impossible to make a better exercise, given the inability to move and breathe properly.

"If you want to look like an hourglass, spanx enough," said Peterson.

And if you want to lose a few pounds, said Peterson, try one of the strategies of healthy weight loss.

Women's wish to have a "thigh gap" could possibly be fueling consuming disorders.

Experts in eating disorders are involved about a great Internet-fueled trend by which teenage girls and young women pursue a great elusive and possibly dangerous weight-loss target: to turn out to be so slender that their own thighs tend not to touch no matter if their feet are with each other.

Specialists say attaining a so-called "thigh gap" is usually risky along with virtually not possible. But some exceptionally slender models develop the gap, that is upheld as a beauty success on countless Tumblr internet pages, blogs along with social media sites.

"The issue of focusing on a particular body part is very common," said Claire Mysko, who oversees teen outreach and digital media for the National Eating Disorders Association, an advocacy group. "What is new is these things have taken on a life of their own because of the Internet and social media."

When the vast majority of people stand with their feet together, their thighs touch. A tiny percentage of people have thighs so slim that they don't come together. The "thigh gap" refers to this space.
Studies suggest that peer pressure from social media plays a significant role in eating disorders. A 2011 study at the University of Haifa found that adolescent girls who spent the most time using Facebook had a greater chance of developing a negative body image and an eating disorder.

"The intrusion and presence of social media in our lives really does make it very difficult," said Nancy Albus, chief executive officer of Castlewood Treatment Center, a suburban St. Louis facility that focuses on eating disorders. "The important distinction about thigh gap is it gives you an actual visual to achieve, this visual comparison of how your body does or doesn't stack up."

Vonda Wright, a Pittsburgh-based orthopedic surgeon and fitness expert, said the spacing between a person's legs is based mostly on genetics. And even extraordinarily thin people may not have a body type that can achieve a gap. You have to be both skinny and wide-hipped, she said.

Besides, Wright said, it isn't a goal worth chasing. Most fit people won't have a thigh gap because their thighs are muscular enough that they touch, she said.
 "Skinny does not mean fit or muscular," said Wright, who works with Division I athletes. "I cannot think of one athlete I deal with" who has a thigh gap.

Experts say it is impossible to know if the pursuit of a thigh gap has caused any deaths, nor is it known how many eating disorders are blamed on the phenomenon. But Mysko said experts believe that "exposure to online images of extreme beauty standards and the drive to compare does increase the risk of developing eating disorders."

6 Things that hidden damage diet

Strict and healthy diet you have lived with all my heart . But somehow the stubborn fat in the body that is difficult to lose. In fact, during the time you 've set a good diet by eating healthy foods and low in fat .

Maybe unconsciously you have done the following 10 things that can ruin your diet .Too many diet foodsDieting and counting calories in the diet is a bother for you who are on a diet program . Fortunately today many diet food packaging produced . Such special milk for low calorie diet or sugar . But in fact some studies say that the food is not really beneficial to your diet . Even low-calorie sugar interfere with the body's natural mechanism to regulate calorie intake . You should go on a diet when you eat food that is really healthy as organic vegetables , fruits , and whole grains .

Using food as a ' gift' after workoutSince it has been working out hard and with discipline , then you also think that it would not hurt to ' reward ' yourself by eating your favorite foods . But did you know that diet plays 80 % while only 20 % exercise in weight loss programs .Too ' discipline ' in dietingYou are so careful in counting calories and obey all your meals . However , as reported by appforhealth.com mention that this behavior will make you suffer and in the end you can be impulsive eater when your target is not reached .

Too fast forwardFor those of you who are dieting , have you ever wished that a diet that you do today will immediately cut your weight 10kg ? If yes , do not ever do that because if your expectations are too high , but the reality is not to your liking , then it can break your motivation in dieting

Eating while doing other activitiesEating while watching television or internet play is fun . But when you do it, the brain will work twice as hard because you do two things at once . As a result you will eat more .

Calorie drink too muchCalorie drinks are not too satisfying your stomach though fairly high in calories . As a result, after drinking the beverage , you also suppress back a lot of food .Diet is not just about limiting the amount of food you . But diet also teaches you to regulate emotions so as not to devour all the food when you 're not emotionally stable can affect the success of your diet .