6.4 trillion calories cut from unhealthy grocery store foods

Obesity continues to plague the country, but it appears as though food companies are beginning to take strides in helping alleviate the problem.

In a study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that companies took 6.4 trillion calories off supermarket shelves and out of the diets of Americans in 2012, a move that obesity experts say could pave the way for the next generation to be the healthiest in decades.

In 2007, a collective of 16 major food and beverage corporations — including Kellogg Company, The Hershey Company, Kraft Foods, Inc., Nestle USA, PepsiCo and General Mills — joined the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, an organization of retailers and manufacturers with a goal to tackle the obesity rate, and pledged to remove 1.5 trillion calories from the U.S. marketplace by 2015. However, the collective exceeded that mark by more than 400 percent, selling 6.4 trillion calories less in 2012 than in 2007, essentially cutting 78 calories per day from every American’s diet, according to the study. The largest cuts came from sweets, cereals, granola, soft drinks and other processed foods. “These companies have made an impressive effort to far exceed their goal,” says Barry Popkin, lead author of the study and professor of global nutrition at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. “One of the biggest efforts companies have made is to advertise sugary beverages less and push water and diet beverages instead.”

[Read: America Tops List of 10 Most Obese Countries.]

In addition to pushing healthier beverage options, the food companies also changed ingredients and reduced portion sizes, according to the study. The biggest change in sales came from sweets and snacks, which include candy, gum, cookies and ice cream. Americans consumed an average of 21 calories less per day from this category in 2012 than they did in 2007. Another major change was in grain products, such as cereals, granola and breads; consumption decreased by 17 calories per day.

Average Daily Calories Sold in the U.S., 2007 and 2012
Food Average Daily Calories Sold in 2007 Average Daily Calories Sold in 2012 Percent Change
Cereals and granola 39 33 -15%
Fats, oils, sauces, and condiments 70 54 -23%
Sweets and snacks 196 175 -11%
Carbonated soft drinks 39 32 -18%
Source: The Nielsen Company

The 78 calories cut overall per day may not sound like much, but it adds up to major gains — nearly 28,500 calories per year. This reduction has likely had a major effect on causing the obesity rate to plateau, Popkin says. “We’ve seen the obesity rate become stagnant in children and adults, which is a major step in beginning to actually reverse it,” he says. “Most of the changes that have been made were in households with kids. Those households have cut the most.”

Childhood obesity has been a major issue in America, where as of 2012, more than one-third of children were overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as of late, it appears parents have taken notice. “This comes at a time where the tide is already moving in a positive direction,” says Christopher Ochner, assistant professor of pediatrics and adolescent medicine and an obesity and nutrition expert at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “Things are getting better, and there’s a higher demand for low-calorie products.”

But is it enough? While the collective has helped stop the obesity rate from continuing to grow, Ochner says, simply expecting less calories on supermarket shelves to solve the problem entirely is naive. “When we look back, this will probably be one brick in the giant building that’s going to be required to make a meaningful difference,” he says. “This is absolutely a positive move, and I don’t want to take anything away from these companies, but we really need to push the needle further to continue making progress.”

[Read: Childhood Obesity: Just Cut It Out.]

While eating fewer chips, candy and ice cream is a great start, Popkin says, it remains to be seen what Americans are eating instead. “It’s not enough to just cut junk food,” he says. “We need to increase consumption of healthy food as well. We need to convince Americans to eat more beans, whole grains and vegetables, which they’re not yet doing.”

Part of the issue is that healthy food continues to be more expensive than microwaveable burritos, Happy Meals and frozen dinners, which can often be bought for less than the price of one farmstand tomato. But without governmental interference, that’s unlikely to change, Ochner says. “It’s up to state, local and federal officials to push for changes,” he says. ” Subsidize healthy food. Think about adding a tax on unhealthy food. Anything they can do to encourage consumers to pick healthy food over unhealthy.”

[Read: 6 Tips for Eating Healthy on Minimum Wage.]

Stores can continue to play a role as well. While 16 manufacturers have stepped in to help, Popkin says Americans need to push the three major supermarkets, Safeway, Kroger and Wal-Mart, to join the effort. “Change those three in a serious way, and you’ll have a marked impact,” he says. The stores did not return a request for comment.

However, parents shouldn’t rely on the government and supermarkets to make changes in their children’s lives. “These companies surpassed the goal, but we collectively have to do more,” Ochner says. “The responsibility doesn’t only fall on them.”

Cook healthy dinners at home, and eat together as a family, Ochner suggests. Shop together and pick out new fruits and vegetables for you and your entire family to try. “We need to see every family to be accountable for themselves,” he says.

[Read: You’ll Gladly Die for Your Children; Why Won’t You Cook for Them?.]

Most importantly, encourage your family to just live an overall healthier life — and lead by example. ” Eat fewer calories, eat healthier food and exercise more,” Ochner says. “That’s the secret to beating the obesity epidemic for good.”

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6.4 Trillion Calories Cut from Unhealthy Grocery Store Foods originally appeared on usnews.com

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