The New Year is a time when many of us pay particular attention to calories and our weight (and do our best not to lose interest in that endeavor before the month is over).  Our industry has taken steps that can help consumers with that pursuit throughout the year.

In fact, the beverage industry has cut the total amount of beverage calories it has brought to market by 21 percent from 1998 to 2008.  And this significant reduction is due in part to the introduction of more low- and no-calorie and smaller-portion beverage choices.

The beverage industry has also come together through a voluntary commitment to make the calories in their products even more clear and consumer-friendly by putting calorie information at consumers’ fingertips at every point of purchase, including containers, company-controlled vending machines and fountain machines.  And in our nation’s schools, we have changed the beverage landscape, cutting beverage by a dramatic 88 percent with our School Beverage Guidelines.  These guidelines removed full-calorie soft drinks and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion choices.

The bold actions will have a meaningful and lasting impact – and we think this will help us all make the decisions that are right for us.  For more information on what we’re doing as an industry, please check in with us on Facebook and Twitter.