CAG ConAgra Brands Inc

Latest Findings Presented at the 2009 Experimental Biology Conference OMAHA, Neb., April 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ConAgra Foods announced today new research that shows people who ate Healthy Choice(R) really did get healthier. Participants in the 24-week study, on average, lost 18 pounds - all as fat - trimmed their waistlines by about three inches, and lowered their cholesterol by 12 points. Leading cardiologist Dr. James Rippe, founder and director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute, led the research team that conducted the study, which was presented during the 2009 Experimental Biology Conference April 18-22 in New Orleans, La. "We know that healthier eating and being physically active are key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but when pressed for time, it's a challenge to achieve and maintain such a lifestyle," said study author Dr. Rippe. "These findings are important because they show in a long-term study that Healthy Choice products offer the convenience and nutrition people are seeking to help them reach their goals." Men and women with health conditions common to many Americans, such as being overweight and having elevated cholesterol, followed a plan centered on eating Healthy Choice products every day. Overall portion and calorie control was emphasized along with choosing other foods consistent with healthy eating such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean meat. Participants also became more physically active by starting a simple walking program, starting with 15 minutes three days per week and progressing to 45 minutes four days per week. A control group followed the physical activity program without making changes in their food choices. In addition to significant positive changes in body weight and cholesterol, the Healthy Choice group also showed significant improvements in overall diet quality compared to the control group, including reduced intakes of fat, calories, saturated fat and cholesterol and increases in fiber intake. "These findings reinforce our commitment to providing delicious, healthful and convenient meals that make it easy for people to not only control their portions, but also get the positive nutrition they're seeking from ingredients like lean meat, vegetables, whole grains and fiber," said Kristin Reimers, PhD, Nutrition Manager, ConAgra Foods. "All Healthy Choice products meet the American Heart Association's nutrition certification, and each package features nutrition information on how this meal fits into USDA's MyPyramid daily recommended amounts for food groups." About Healthy Choice Healthy Choice products are made from premium ingredients and prepared with an emphasis on high-impact nutrition and flavor. Brands with "healthy" in their name are held to a higher nutrition standard set by the FDA. Healthy Choice is the only major brand in its category that can call 100 percent of its products "healthy" as defined by the FDA. Previous research has shown that Healthy Choice meals are lower in calories, saturated fat and sodium compared to a typical American meal(i), potentially preventing Americans' consumption of billions of calories and tons of salt and saturated fat over the past 20 years. For more information about Healthy Choice, visit http://www.healthychoice.com/. About the Rippe Institute Founded by James M. Rippe, M.D., Rippe Lifestyle Institute is one of the leading research, communication and health promotion organizations in the world. Through research, publishing and partnering in health promotion and disease prevention projects, the various divisions and two locations of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute are helping empower people to lead healthier lifestyles with the passion, commitment and performance that have made Rippe Lifestyle Institute a leading authority on lifestyle and health. For more information, please visit us at http://www.rippehealth.com/. About ConAgra Foods Healthy Choice(R) is a brand of ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE:CAG). ConAgra Foods is one of North America's leading food companies, with brands in 97 percent of America's households. Consumers find Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and many ConAgra Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying potato, other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit us at http://www.conagrafoods.com/. (i) Based on 1988-1994 and 1994-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey average of median lunch and dinner intake. DATASOURCE: ConAgra Foods CONTACT: Aimee Tysarczyk of Ketchum, +1-202-835-7290, , for ConAgra Foods Web Site: http://www.conagrafoods.com/ http://www.healthychoice.com/ http://www.rippehealth.com/

Copyright