America's beverage companies are taking actions to provide consumers more choices with less sugar and smaller portion sizes.  Halfway into our Balance Calories Initiative, an effort to reduce beverage calories consumed nationally per person by 20% by 2025, calories per person have decreased by 10%.  This means we are halfway to our goal.

We’re doing this by driving innovation, marketing and distribution of lower- and zero-sugar and smaller portion beverages.  A recent report by an independent evaluator shows that these actions are working.  In fact, today nearly 60% of beverages sold national contain low or zero sugar.

A few takeaways from the report include:

• Importantly, overall sales volume continued to increase, with a total volume increase of 8.1% since 2014;
• 2020 marked the fourth consecutive year of notable calorie declines;
• Last year also had the largest single-year calorie reduction — 5% — since the beginning of BCI, with beverage calories per person decreasing from 202.8 calories per person per day in 2014 to 182.6 in 2020; and
• Per person volume sales of water increased by 36.6% since the launch of BCI.

Part of this success comes from the partnerships we have with community-based partners, like our national public health partner the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.  While there is still more work to be done, the results of our Balance Calories Initiative show the power of public-private partnerships working together on meaningful solutions to societal challenges.  It is our hope that this work serves as a model for others who want to make a lasting, meaningful impact on reducing sugar in the diet and combat obesity.

Visit BalanceUS.org to learn more about the Balance Calories Initiative and the industry’s continued actions to encourage balance.