Companies Join together to Declare Independence from Refined Sugars

Take Aim at Government, Consumers and Schools

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    BOSTON, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Like Sam Adams and Paul Revere leading the
 Colonists rejection of Britain's right to tax tea, the Life Is Sweet Enough
 Coalition today dumped 412 pounds of sugar (the average amount of sugar
 consumed annually by an American family of four) near the Boston Harbor to
 herald the beginning of the end of refined sugar's reign over America's diet.
     (Photo:   http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030812/NYTU047 )
     "The World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human
 Services have warned us, and nutritionists have repeatedly implored us, about
 what parents have known all along: we can't keep eating too much refined
 sugars, or junk food and stay healthy," said Michael Jacobson, Executive
 Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition
 advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. "It's about time we got serious
 about obesity. The Life Is Sweet Enough Coalition is showing remarkable
 corporate leadership in encouraging this new healthy revolution for Americans
 of all ages."
     The dumping of the sugar is the official launch of a year-long campaign to
 inspire consumers to take action through education and advocacy. Activities
 and information on a campaign web site will provide opportunities to petition
 the FDA to set a Daily Value for added sugar and to include this information
 on the Nutrition Facts label; to learn about healthy foods with low added-
 sugar; and to find other nutrition facts and information. The site will also
 include articles by well-renowned nutritionists; include information about
 local programs promoting healthy lifestyles for kids; and will ask individuals
 to support the Child Nutrition Incentives Act to improve nutrition in school
 lunches. For more information, see www.lifeissweetenough.org.
     "Kids take to the message immediately," said Dr. Charles Cappetta,
 pediatrician at Dartmouth Hitchcock Nashua, President of the NH Pediatric
 Society and head of Granite State Fit Kids, a program teaching 1,400 4th
 graders in Southern New Hampshire about healthy lifestyles. "Once you get them
 early, children can develop healthy habits that last a lifetime." Granite
 State Fit Kids is a seven-week program that teaches kids about their bodies
 and how to take care of them. It addresses the issues of nutrition, good
 choices about food and healthy snacks along with messages about the harmful
 effects of smoking and chewing tobacco. Granite State Fit Kids also includes
 "body workshops" on systems of the body including the heart, lungs, guts,
 brains and bones and the importance of physical activity and exercise.
     Honest Tea, the leading manufacturer of natural and organic iced tea,
 champions the educational campaign. "We are here to protest ingestation
 without representation," said Seth Goldman, President and TeaEO of the
 Bethesda, Maryland-based company.  "Most Americans don't have any idea how
 much sugar they are putting in their bodies when they consume foods and drinks
 that are billed as 'healthy'.  Let the word go forth to consumers and
 companies alike, that all Americans should be endowed with the unalienable
 rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of delicious-tasting foods that don't
 contain tons of sugar," Goldman added.  "We hope this campaign gets consumers
 thinking and taking action when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. We also hope
 to instill a little more honesty when it comes to disclosing how much added
 sugar is in a product.  In the coming months Honest Tea will start voluntarily
 disclosing how much added sugar there is in our bottled teas, and we will
 encourage other beverage companies to do the same."
     Joining the natural and organic tea maker are Annie's Naturals and
 Naked(R) Food-Juice. "This is exactly the kind of information America needs,"
 said Annie Christopher, Founder and President of Annie's Naturals. "Families
 can all take part in healthier eating and lifestyle habits - so that adults
 aren't just dieting. Activities from cooking to gardening or biking can be
 part of this lifestyle change." Annie's Naturals is the best-selling brand of
 dressings and condiments in the natural foods market. Annie's Naturals joined
 the Life Is Sweet Enough coalition to emphasize how its commitment to using
 only the highest quality ingredients to make the best-tasting and healthiest
 sauces and condiments fits hand-in-glove with the message of reducing added
 sugars and increasing healthy lifestyles.
     Naked Food-Juice, the natural juice company with a pound of fruit in every
 pint and no added sugar- ever, joined the coalition as a way to get their 5-a-
 Day campaign and "no added sugar" message delivered more effectively to
 consumers. Since one 15.2 ounce bottle of Naked Food-Juice helps consumers get
 over half way to their five recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per
 day, the Naked Juice Company focuses on the delivery of nutrients and the
 associated health benefits derived from consumption of Naked juice. "There is
 a difference between the naturally occurring sugars found in wholesome,
 nutrient-dense Naked juices, and the refined, added sugars contained in
 nutrient-void products," said Erich Fritz, Chief Operating Officer of the
 Naked Juice Company. "People are compromising their health when they give up
 fruits and vegetables to avoid carbohydrates and natural sugars for fad diets,
 because they are also giving up the essential vitamins and minerals that work
 to nourish, heal and protect the body," he added.
     For more information on the Life Is Sweet Enough Campaign contact Living
 Out Loud Communications at (603) 228-2836 or (603) 763-5951.
 
 

SOURCE  Honest Tea