Keeping Track of Calories

Well this is good news! As part of First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to tackle childhood obesity, the beverage industry has unveiled new labeling plans that will make caloric content more obvious. Starting this summer, calories will be more prominently marked on the front of all packages, vending machines and fountain machines, the industry trade group said. The initiative - which already has the support of beverage giants Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. - will also ensure that calorie counts for the entire drink are displayed on the labels, up to and including 20-ounce products. On multi-serve packages such as two-liter bottles, beverage makers will switch from an 8-ounce to a 12-ounce serving size to give a more realistic calorie count. And according to the American Beverage Association, the industry is also committed to offering smaller portion sizes and further marketing low-calorie beverages. I think this is an outstanding idea and will help raise consumer awareness when it comes to weight maintenance and calorie reduction.