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Fighting obesity & diabetes

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World Diabetes Day falls on 14 November each year. Studies have shown that obesity is a serious global health challenge and it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The United Nations believes the food industry has a vital role to play in helping enable healthier lives. At Nestlé we believe this too. Our purpose is enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

By reducing sugar, sodium and saturated fat in our foods and beverages through gradual, science‑based renovation, we can improve health outcomes and decrease the risk of non‑communicable diseases like diabetes.

At the same time, we increase the ingredients and nutrients that are key to a healthy diet such as protein, fruit, whole grain, vitamins and minerals.

Between 2014 and 2016, Nestlé has reduced added sugars by 8% on average across 1,900 products worldwide. This amounts to 39,000 tons of sugar and is equivalent to a string of sugar cubes circling the globe three times.

Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, for example, has reduced sugar by up to 30% to provide people with healthier choices.

We will continue to reduce sugar in our foods and beverages. By 2020, we are committed to reducing added sugars by 5% to help people meet WHO global recommendations.

However, improving the nutritional profile of our products alone is not enough. Working with partners, Nestlé is helping parents, caregivers and teachers foster healthy behavior.

We do this by establishing numerous nutrition education programs, including introducing portion guidance and providing simple tips and recipes.

Find out how we reduce sugar in our products and read the Nestlé Policy on Sugars (pdf, 2Mb).