Balance Calories Initiative

A nationwide initiative to help fight obesity by reducing sugar and calories consumed from beverages in Americans’ diets and promoting calorie awareness and balance.

The Balance Calories Initiative is a national, multi-year effort from America’s leading beverage companies and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to help fight obesity by reducing beverage calories consumed per person nationally by 20% by 2025. Together, we’re providing new choices, information and encouragement to bring about lasting change.

The elements of the program include: 

DRIVING A REDUCTION IN CALORIES FROM SUGAR CONSUMED FROM BEVERAGES ACROSS AMERICA

America’s beverage companies are working to cut sugar consumption from beverages by taking the necessary actions to change behavior, including:

  • Leveraging the companies’ product and packaging innovation, marketing and distribution expertise, as well as consumer awareness efforts.
  • Working closely in local markets with retailers to create demand for water, no- and lower-calorie beverages and smaller portion sizes through proven promotional efforts like product placement, featured merchandising, couponing and other incentives.
  • Focusing on high need communities where beverage calorie reduction has lagged behind the national trend and obesity rates are among the highest in the country. While our efforts are nationwide, we’re putting extra focus on high obesity neighborhoods in Little Rock, Ark., East Los Angeles, New York City, the Mississippi Delta and Montgomery, Ala.
Encouraging Calorie Awareness and Balance at Points-of-Purchase

America’s beverage companies are providing calorie information and encouraging consumers to consider calorie balance in their purchase decisions by:

  • Placing calorie counts and calorie awareness messages on all company-controlled point-of-sale equipment nationwide, which includes more than 3 million vending machines, self-serve fountain dispensers, and retail coolers in convenience stores, restaurants and other locations.
  • Working with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to engage leading trade associations and other retail partners to participate and display calorie information on coolers, vending machines and fountain equipment controlled by independent owners.
Increasing Consumers’ Awareness of Calorie Balance

America’s beverage companies are supporting mom in her effort to reduce her family’s sugar consumption from beverages. We are providing more beverage options, information and encouragement to choose a beverage to help reduce your sugar consumption.