The mission of the Reality Coalition is to promote a realistic approach to weight control.

Obesity is a rapidly growing public health issue of primary importance in the United States.  In recent years, the issues and challenges of dealing with the obesity epidemic have been clearly and thoroughly articulated by groups such as the Institutes of Medicine/National Academies of Science and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  With two thirds of the US population considered overweight or obese, there is an urgent need to recalibrate the weight loss discussion in this country. 

Experts agree that the only safe and effective way to impact body weight and improve health is by decreasing the number of calories consumed and/or increasing the amount of exercise—maximizing the balance between energy intake and energy output.  Like other public heath issues, such as tobacco or alcohol abuse, there are proven products, programs, and behavior changes that are effective in reducing weight.  However, unlike tobacco and alcohol, consumers cannot discontinue their use of food, so intervention strategies must support eating less, choosing healthy food options, and increasing physical activity as a new lifestyle.

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