Beverage Calorie Initiative Progress Report Shows Meaningful Decrease in Calories Consumed in Local Communities

(NEW YORK, N.Y.) November 28, 2018 – A report released today shows beverage calories consumed per person declined in all five of the measured local communities as part of the Beverage Calorie Initiative (BCI) – a national effort between the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the American Beverage Association, The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo to reduce the per-capita consumption of calories that Americans get from beverages by 20 percent by 2025. The findings are significant as it is the first year since measurement began in 2015 that declines have been reported across all of the communities measured and the rate of calorie decline exceeded the national decline reported in August 2018 [available at both www.healthiergeneration.org and www.ameribev.org].

“For more than a decade, Healthier Generation has been dedicated to driving transformative change through cross-sector work that improves access to lower- and no-calorie beverage options,” said Anne Ferree, chief strategy and partnership officer at Healthier Generation. “The latest findings highlight the positive impact that can come from collaborations rooted in data. It also shows the power of community agency and a commitment to creating healthier environments and ultimately healthier communities.”

Since 2014, five communities in which calorie reduction is expected to be the most challenging have been selected for participation in the BCI. The first two, which include specific neighborhoods in Little Rock, Ark., and Eastern Los Angeles, Calif., were announced at the signing of the agreement in 2014. The next community, which includes the South Bronx and Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights neighborhoods in New York City, was announced in May 2015. In April 2016, two counties in Alabama – Montgomery and Lowndes, and four counties in the Mississippi Delta – Coahoma, Panola, Quitman and Tunica, were announced. Progress in each of these markets is measured against its own baseline year based on when selection and implementation began.

In these five communities, the pace of calorie reductions per person in 2017 was ahead of the needed pace to achieve each community goal. These decreases were not generally driven by reduced overall sales, but rather factors including an increase in sales of no- and low-calorie beverages and a decrease in sales of full- and mid-calorie beverages. Sales serve as the proxy for consumption. The data shows momentum with regard to calorie declines; however, additional time is needed to ensure that pace can be sustained. The analysis shows that the calorie declines ranged from 5.4 percent in Montgomery-Lowndes, Ala., to 2.2 percent in Eastern Los Angeles. The analysis shows that the rate of decline in the five communities exceeded the national rate and is similar to the national findings in that progress towards the BCI goals continues at its strongest rate yet.

“America’s leading beverage companies share the goal of strong, healthy families and communities, which is why we are working in neighborhoods and nationally to help people cut the sugar and calories they get from beverages by providing them more choices with less sugar and zero sugar, smaller package sizes and clear calorie information,” said Mark Hammond, interim CEO, executive vice president and CFO of the American Beverage Association. “We believe everyday consumers are best served when private industry, government and public health groups work together to have a meaningful, sustainable impact.”

The most recent report is available on the Healthier Generation website at www.healthiergeneration.org, and on the American Beverage Association website at www.ameribev.org.

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About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation believes every child deserves a healthy future. For more than a decade, Healthier Generation has been empowering kids to develop lifelong healthy habits by ensuring the environments that surround them provide and promote good health. Driven by our passion that all young people deserve a chance to live healthier lives, our work has helped more than 28 million young people across the country. Make a difference at HealthierGeneration.org and join us on Facebook and Twitter.

About American Beverage Association

The American Beverage Association is the national trade organization representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States. For more information, please visit www.balanceus.org and www.ameribev.org.