Although some segments of the beverage industry often are associated with the obesity epidemic in America, more than half of consumers believe they are responsible for their own weight, according to research by The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash. The market research firm reports that 57 percent of consumers surveyed in 2010 strongly agreed that they are responsible for choosing the right foods to eat instead of manufacturers, and 54 percent strongly agreed that only they are responsible for their own weight.
Nevertheless, beverage-makers still are tasked with providing options that enable consumers to manage their weight. Therefore, the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) set a goal for 16 of America’s top food and beverage companies to reduce the number of calories in the marketplace by 1.5 trillion by 2015. In May, the HWCF reported that the group already exceeded that goal. Participating beverage companies included PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y.; The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta; Kraft Foods Group Inc., Northfield, Ill.; Nestlé USA, Glendale, Calif.; Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.; and Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J.