It has become nearly impossible to pick up a newspaper or turn on the television without seeing some reference to the growing problem of obesity in America.

The heads of national and international health organizations including the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director General of the World Health Organization have declared obesity to be a critical threat to public health and a major contributing factor to the problem of non-communicable chronic disease globally.

According to U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, obesity is the fastest growing cause of illness and death in America.

The obesity epidemic didn’t just occur overnight or even within the last few years. It has been accumulating for decades as a side-effect of human progress and prosperity.

Many factors, including advances in agricultural technology and industrial productivity, migration from cities to suburbs and improvements in living standards have intersected to contribute to the growth of American waistlines.

Where starvation and nutrient deficiencies were once major public health problems, today we’re wrestling with learning to build good dietary practices so calorie surpluses don’t threaten our health and longevity. Where we once expended energy as a regular part of our jobs, today we struggle to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives to avoid being sedentary.

The cars we are driving today were designed on computers and assembled by robots. Modern steel mills churn out more tons with fewer workers than ever before. Men and women are trading in their hard hats for Aeron chairs.

And the slowdown starts early in life. In my generation, most kids walked to school. Today they take the bus – unless they are old enough to drive. Modern high schools have acres of parking lots for kids who drive on their own. Thinking back, I can count on the fingers of one hand the people who drove their own cars to my high school in Mississippi. I had to beg for the car on a Saturday night when I had a date – I guess today that would be called "pester power."

There is little dispute that obesity is a serious problem. And there is plenty we can do about it.

We should start with our children. We must help future generations develop and maintain healthy lifestyles for the long-term. But we must first give them the tools and resources necessary to do so. This requires a balanced approach that focuses on providing sound nutrition information to parents, students and teachers. We must also encourage and fund more physical education and recreational opportunities.

The Society of Nutrition Educators recommends 50 hours of nutrition education annually. Yet, surprising as it may seem, the national mean is only 13 hours per year. Teaching proper nutrition to America’s youth will give them the tools they need to adopt a healthy lifestyle – one that meets their own needs and allows them to enjoy their favorite foods as part of a balanced diet.

We must also find ways to encourage children to increase their level of physical activity. Studies have shown that children who participate in physical education programs fare better physically and academically than those who are inactive.

As the National Association for Sport and Physical Education reported, in addition to controlling weight, a quality physical education program helps children improve self-esteem and interpersonal skills, gain a sense of belonging through teamwork and improve problem solving skills.

However, an alarming number of children get little or no regular physical activity. Physical education requirements in our public schools have been declining over the last twenty years. According to a report issued by the International Life Sciences Institute, about one in four children do not get any physical education in school. And only about 50 percent of elementary schools have physical education teachers on staff.

But we must not shy away from the important responsibility that we all have as parents. We must be role models. Can we really expect children to battle a tide of obesity that is rising in their own household? Remember the statistics – adults are far more likely to be overweight than kids. When we are skipping our workouts, snacking before dinner, taking seconds on dessert, and then upsizing our wardrobes, we can’t expect our kids to ignore the message we are sending.

As you can see, obesity presents an enormous challenge to society as a whole. Food is obviously a central part of our lives, and obesity is a complex issue. It won’t be solved overnight and no single sector – not government, not industry, not schools and not consumers – can do it alone. Lasting solutions require that all sides work together on multiple initiatives.

The food and beverage industry is playing an essential role because of who we are and what we do. It is our job to provide consumers with safe, nutritious, enjoyable and affordable food. We’re making a significant contribution by intensifying our efforts to provide a wide range of nutritious product choices. And we’re marketing these choices in ways that promote healthy lifestyles.

But that's not all. We're doing more. GMA has taken a leadership role by working in close cooperation with other stakeholders to devise comprehensive solutions to combat obesity.

We’re working with Congress. We're working with FDA and USDA. We're working with schools, with communities, with parents and with kids. We’re working with the advertising community and with other industries that have a stake in the obesity problem. And of course we’re working inside our companies to make and improve the foods and beverages our customers want.

The following are just a few examples of some of the important work our industry is doing to fight the rising tide of obesity in America.

Early last year, GMA founded the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN). Along with several GMA member companies, both ANA and AAAA serve on the ACFN Executive Board. And I’d like to take this time to publicly thank them for the important contributions they’ve made in helping us communicate healthy lifestyle messages to consumers of all ages.

ACFN is recognizing "best in class" programs that help individuals balance their food intake to match their level of physical activity. Such programs can serve as models that can be replicated in communities across the country.

We are using ACFN’s resources to help elevate national recognition of these programs, such as America on the Move, which encourages Americans to maintain their energy balance by walking an extra 2000 steps or cutting out 100 calories each day. ACFN is also working to support the Department of Education’s Physical Education for Progress (PEP) Grants, which provide local communities with funding for physical activity.

In January, ACFN offered to partner with the Department of Health and Human Services to promote the HealthierUS program. ACFN hopes to serve as a megaphone for the very important messages HHS is trying to convey to all Americans. As you may know, HHS and the Ad Council recently launched an advertising campaign designed to teach Americans the importance of balancing their caloric intake with an appropriate level of physical activity.

GMA is also working closely with state and federal officials to promote solutions to obesity that are broad based and achievable.

We supported the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Frist and Senators Dodd and Bingaman to pass the "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act," which is more commonly known as IMPACT. It provides funds for community programs that help people make the right choices about food and physical activity.

The public health agencies are actively looking at new ways to communicate nutrition information to consumers. And rather than sitting back and waiting, GMA is providing our member companies’ expertise to suggest solutions that can be easily implemented by consumers in their everyday lives.

For example, GMA has urged that the Dietary Guidelines stress the need for Americans to moderate their food intake to match their level of physical activity. Our message to the government is a simple one – we must advise Americans to eat less, be more active, or do both in order to maintain a healthy weight. In addition, GMA has suggested that HHS and USDA align the Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid with the food label to ensure that serving sizes are consistent.

Information about nutrition and physical activity must be coherent and relevant to consumers. People can’t use what they don't understand.

You can rest assured; GMA is delivering more than comments and recommendations to the government. We are conducting research that looks at the way consumers use the food label for nutrition information. This study will provide FDA with valuable assistance in developing labels that will better communicate calorie and serving size information.

We support FDA's proposals to require labeling of trans fat and to allow more health claims. And we have petitioned FDA to set regulatory standards for the full range of carbohydrate nutrient content claims.

Consumers constantly demand new and improved products that combine taste, convenience and nutrition. GMA members compete to meet that demand and we are responding as never before.

We are reformulating products to lower calories, reduce fat and sugars, lower cholesterol, and add vitamins. For example, many companies are making small changes in fat content, which cumulatively add up to significant reductions across their product lines.

We are offering new choices for smaller product serving sizes. For example, several companies are introducing eight ounce containers for beverages.

We are removing trans fat from products. For example, one major snack food manufacturer has removed 50 million pounds of trans fats from its most popular products.

And we are promoting nutrition education and physical activity, especially in schools and local communities. For example, one company alone has committed to providing $5 million in grants to such programs.

As we intensify our efforts to communicate the benefits of healthy lifestyles, we cannot lose sight of a very simple but essential truth – taste matters. Consumers will not purchase food that they do not enjoy. The challenge for America's food and beverage manufacturers is to provide and promote the products that make eating not only healthy, but enjoyable. And consumers will see even more of these products in the months ahead.

But consumers need to know what is available to them. And as we all know, advertising is the most powerful and effective way to communicate the incredible array of food and beverage choices that our members provide. This is where you come in.

Effective advertising depends on consumers’ trust and respect. The members of GMA have a longstanding commitment to responsible advertising and marketing practices, especially when it comes to children.

We support the National Advertising Review Council, that National Advertising Division and the Children’s Advertising Review Unit, which has an exemplary record of ensuring that advertising to children meets the highest possible standards.

The Council of Better Business Bureaus deserves much of the credit for the good and responsible advertising that consumers see today. We in the food sector, comply . . . voluntarily . . . with the decisions of NAD and CARU. NAD ensures that advertising meets the highest standards of truth and accuracy. And CARU has fostered advertising that promotes balanced diets and healthy lifestyles.

Unfortunately, these groups aren't getting the credit they deserve. In fact, we think self regulation is one of the best kept secrets in the country. Most consumers, companies and policy makers are not aware of all you have accomplished. And as a consequence, they do not appreciate your potential to be a force in the future.

The food industry has long supported NAD’s mission "to review national advertising for truthfulness and accuracy and foster public confidence in the credibility of advertising." Since its formation in 1971, NAD has handled over 3,400 cases. What is even more impressive is advertisers' willingness to adhere to NAD's findings.

Over the last fifteen years, that compliance rate has exceeded 95 percent. Former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky, called NAD the best example of self-regulation that he was aware of in American history.

In the last five years, has CARU investigated over 430 advertisements aimed towards children. CARU also enjoys a success rate exceeding 95 percent in resolving child advertisement issues. This success rate has been recognized and commended by many, including the FTC. In fact, C. Lee Peeler, Deputy Director for the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC said the following about CARU:

"As an advertising law enforcement official, I have always found it remarkable that in the name of self-regulation, major national advertisers would voluntarily modify or discontinue their advertising to meet CARU’s standards that sometimes go beyond existing law. CARU’s twenty-five years of success demonstrates a sustained commitment to effective self-regulation. It is a record of accomplishment for which CARU supporters should be justifiably proud."

Yet despite the unquestionable success of self regulation, today we have activists calling for restrictions on food advertising and bans on advertising to kids. They argue that industry cannot be trusted to communicate responsibly. I can only conclude that they need to learn more about the system we have in place.

That is why GMA asked NARC to embark on a campaign to raise the visibility of its role and to expand its monitoring of food and beverage advertising through NAD and CARU. More specifically, we urge you to explain your principles, guidelines and decisions applicable to food advertising, and we are asking you to continue your monitoring and educational efforts with the food sector.

GMA has also announced our commitment to enlist widespread support among food companies for self regulation as administered by CARU and NAD.

Food manufacturers rely on the huge body of precedent from decades of NAD cases. And we follow the advice and decisions of CARU. There can be no question that consumers of all ages are better off because the communications they receive pass through the filters of self regulation.

Self regulation of food advertising has evolved into a sophisticated body of standards that is respected by virtually all observers. But if it is to realize its full potential, self regulation must be both visible and widely accepted by consumers and businesses alike. The most effective way to influence advertising for the benefit of diet, nutrition and health is to advance and promote self-regulatory organizations like NAD and CARU in the United States and around the world.

Therefore, we think NAD and CARU should synthesize and publish their relevant consultations, decisions, codes and guides dealing with advertising of food and nutrition, especially advertising directed to children.

It’s also important to note what we are not asking. We are not asking for a change in rules. We are not asking for a set quota of cases for the food industry. We think NAD and CARU are doing an excellent job. The only problem is that they are not getting nearly as much notice as they deserve.

Advertising will always have its critics. Some folks think adults should see less of it and that children should not see it at all. We think advertising is important to tell us all – adults and kids alike – about new foods that will taste good and fit into a healthy lifestyle. We don't think we need to hide our kids from the world around them. We just need to be sensitive when we talk to them. And of course, we must be truthful and responsible when we talk to everyone. That's what we do, and we are grateful for your help. Working together, we will see to it that advertising is part of the solution.