New Research Shows Healthy Choice® Meals Can Help Curb Pre-Diabetes
October 27 2009 - 3:00PM
Business Wire
Over 40 percent of American adults are pre-diabetic, a condition
that is the forerunner to Type 2 diabetes, the life-threatening
disease that impacts more than 23 million people in the U.S. Yet
pre-diabetic Americans are generally unaware of their status and
health risk.1 Now, ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG), one of North
America’s leading food makers, is shedding new light on the problem
by sharing research that shows a specific type of healthier eating
has a measurable impact on pre-diabetic conditions.
In research announced today at the 2009 annual meeting of the
Obesity Society, a study of people who ate Healthy Choice meals as
part of a healthy lifestyle significantly improved several risk
factors associated with pre-diabetes. Participants in the 24-week
study significantly lowered their blood glucose and insulin levels
and experienced improvements in insulin sensitivity, a measure of
how well the body uses insulin. Leading cardiologist Dr. James
Rippe, founder and director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute, led
the research team that conducted the study.
“Healthier eating and becoming more physically active are keys
to maintaining a healthy lifestyle which can delay and prevent the
onset of Type 2 diabetes, a disease that is on the rise in America
and currently results in an economic burden estimated to at $132
billion annually,” Rippe said. “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
promote an improved state of wellness.”
In the study, men and women with health conditions common to
many Americans and characteristic of pre-diabetes, such as being
overweight and sedentary, followed a plan centered around eating
Healthy Choice products every day. Overall portion and calorie
control, plus moderate exercise, were emphasized, along with
choosing other foods consistent with healthy eating such as fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and, lean meat.
“These findings are consistent with the results of the large,
federally funded Diabetes Prevention Program,” Rippe said. “Our
study showed a user-friendly, practical way for individuals at risk
for diabetes to significantly lower that risk.”
Participants also became more physically active during the study
by starting a simple walking program beginning 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. The group that used
Healthy Choice products showed significant improvements compared to
the control group for blood glucose and insulin levels and also had
a positive change in insulin sensitivity. Insulin is the key
hormone the human body uses to regulate blood sugar levels.
“All of this is quite logical, but the trick is making eating
healthier more enjoyable and easy,” said Mark Andon, Ph.D., vice
president of Nutrition, ConAgra Foods. “Consumers know it’s
important to eat right to maintain good health. But the food needs
to taste good, and, for many people, it needs to be convenient. We
do the work, making food that Americans can easily enjoy in
adopting a healthier lifestyle—Healthy Choice meals combine taste,
convenience, positive nutrition, and portion control so there’s no
tradeoff between eating well and being well.”
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, 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 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 www.rippehealth.com.
About ConAgra Foods
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America’s
leading food companies, making the food found in 97 percent of
America’s households. Consumers choose Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg
Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Marie
Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and
many other 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.
1. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates
that more than 40 percent of adults in the United States has
pre-diabetes, but is generally unaware of the condition.
Research note: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in adults –
United States, 1990-2000, MMWR Morb. Mortal Wkly Rep.
2003;52;833-837.
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