We often talk about the importance of public-private partnerships and how in our industry’s experience, they can – and do – work.  For example, working together with President Clinton on our national School Beverage Guidelines, we voluntary removed full-calorie sodas from all schools and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion options – driving a 90 percent reduction in beverage calories shipped to schools.  And in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, we launched our Clear on Calories initiative, placing calorie labels on the front of every bottle, can and pack we produce.  Efforts like these will have a positive and lasting effect for generations to come, and importantly, they do not go unnoticed.

Today, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed by First Lady Michelle Obama which applauds the efforts of American companies in providing healthier choices to consumers – like our many lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverages – so they can choose the option that is right for them.  Here is a brief excerpt:

Every day, great American companies are achieving greater and greater success by creating and selling healthy products. In doing so, they are showing that what's good for kids and good for family budgets can also be good for business.

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So it's clear that we are moving in the right direction. But we also know that the problem is nowhere near being solved. We need more leaders from all across the country to step up, and I stand ready to work with business leaders who are serious about taking meaningful steps to forge a healthier future. We need every business in America to dig deeper, get more creative, and find new ways to generate revenue by giving American families better information and healthier choices. We know this can be done in a way that's good for our kids and good for businesses.

That's why, even though we still have a long way to go, I have never been more optimistic about our prospects for solving this problem. And I am confident that, with leadership from America's business community, we can give all our children the bright, healthy futures they so richly deserve.

To read the complete op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal (and we suggest you do), click here.