ConAgra Foods Releases New Studies Showing Simple Dietary Improvements Reap Big Gains for Health and Productivity
June 30 2009 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
ConAgra Foods announced today the results of two new studies
showing modest reductions in calorie and sodium intake can
significantly benefit health, leading to improved productivity and
a reduction in U.S. medical expenditures. The analysis of
government data is the first of its kind to document the impact of
positive diet improvements on a nationwide basis.
The research, published in the July issue of the American
Journal of Health Promotion, is critical to understanding how to
improve health through dietary choices, says lead author Timothy
Dall of The Lewin Group. �One of the most revealing findings was
just how big an impact 100 calories less per day can have compared
to the more modest benefit of sodium reductions,� Dall said.
ConAgra Foods commissioned the studies as part of the company�s
overarching commitment to health and wellness, which it supports
through programs like Start Making Choices, a consumer health and
wellness program that encourages healthy habits for a balanced
life. The studies were conducted by The Lewin Group and Nutrition
Impact, LLC.
�As a leading food company, it�s important for us to create an
understanding of the link between diet and health for our
consumers,� said Mark Andon, vice president of Nutrition at ConAgra
Foods. �A key learning here is that making simple dietary
improvements�such as a Healthy Choice meal in place of take-out
lunch, Egg Beaters instead of eggs, and Orville Redenbacher�s
SmartPop! as a whole grain, calorie-controlled, reduced-sodium
snack�empowers people to make meaningful changes that can translate
to healthier lives, less costly health care, and increased
productivity.�
The studies documented the impact of diet changes among the 225
million adults living in America by using information from sources
such as the National Center for Health Statistics, The National
Academy of Sciences and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The results
show eating 100 calories less per day for each adult would lead to
more than $100 billion in savings over the entire adult population
based on today�s costs. This would come from $58 billion worth of
medical cost savings by reducing the number of cases of diabetes,
heart disease, cancer, and other diseases; plus an increase in
national productivity of $46 billion due to reduced absenteeism and
disability. By comparison, this research found that the combined
economic gain from medical cost savings and productivity gains from
reducing dietary sodium intake by 400 milligrams would be about $5
billion.
�Larger changes in calories and sodium intake would generate
greater medical cost savings and more improvements in
productivity,� Dall said. �Based on our analysis, cutting calories
by 500 per day would lead to $243 billion in savings, whereas,
reducing sodium by 1100 milligrams would generate $11 billion in
savings. Although many adults could benefit from cutting back on
both sodium and calories, the return on investment for long-term
health is clearly greater for calories.�
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) 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
www.conagrafoods.com.
ConAgra Brands (NYSE:CAG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
ConAgra Brands (NYSE:CAG)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024