PepsiCo touches the lives of tens of millions of people every day. We are driven by the belief that by joining forces with partners across many sectors, we can make a far greater impact in the fight to reduce obesity and address other global nutrition needs than by working alone. As part of our efforts to help reduce obesity in the U.S., we are a founding member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF). The Foundation is a CEO-led organization and a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity – especially childhood obesity – by 2015. On Monday, the HWCF joined First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America to announce its new pledge to reduce 1.5 trillion calories by the end of 2015. “Solving the obesity epidemic requires far more than anything government can do alone and today’s announcement represents an important... Read more

George Mensah is currently Director, Heart Health and Global Health Policy at PepsiCo. His role on the R&D team is focused on the company’s initiatives to promote heart health around the world. George came to PepsiCo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and today, the Atlanta Journal Constitution caught up with George to find out a little more about his transition to PepsiCo and how he sees the company’s role in global public health efforts. See the link below for more details, and if you have any questions for George please post them in the comments section: Atlanta Journal Constitution: Whatever happened to… George Mensah? Read more

The observance of World Hypertension Day provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness about hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure (HBP).  This condition is often called a “silent killer” because many people who succumb to its complications often do not even know they have it.  An estimated 1.5 billion people in the world have HBP and about 7 million people die every year as a result.  Other than advancing age, HBP is the most powerful risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and it is second only to diabetes as the leading cause of end-stage kidney failure.  Knowing your blood pressure is important because most complications can be prevented if high blood pressure is detected early, treated, and controlled. When your blood pressure is measured you will be given two numbers (for example, 120/80). If your first number is always less than 120 and the second... Read more