Walking the Talk: How Nestlé USA is Tackling Obesity
Yes, we’re reformulating our foods and beverages and encouraging healthier choices, but we’re going even further to provide support for a healthier workforce
Originally published on Medium
By Veronica, Manager of Benefits Strategy and Excellence at Nestlé
America’s obesity epidemic won’t be solved by any single agency, non-profit, or even a progressive company like Nestlé USA. We understand that no one-size-fits-all solution exists, yet realize we can play an important part in moving the needle on obesity.
Nestlé USA is taking deliberate steps to help tackle this public health crisis with our products, from a relentless focus on reducing sugar, sodium, and saturated fat in our foods and beverages, to educating consumers on making healthier choices. Because our products have such significant reach — 97% of American consumers have a Nestlé product in their home — we believe this reformulation work can help improve health outcomes.
But we also have a responsibility to our workforce, and that’s where I come in.
As Nestlé USA’s manager of benefits strategy, I’m proud that Nestlé USA is a founding member of the My Healthy Weight initiative, the first-ever collective effort to provide obesity prevention and treatment to people of all ages. This knowledge-sharing initiative of health care leaders includes private and public payers and employers, all pledging to provide consistent coverage to support healthy weight change. All together, the program serves as a win-win-win for employees, community public health, and participating business. The esteemed Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health philanthropy, and the respected Bipartisan Policy Center are partners in this effort, shedding light how investing in the health of employees is valuable for all involved. In fact, in addition to our primary goal to support our employees, emerging evidence shows that these investments can even offer a business return.
