Body weight control can run on the same lines as our new year’s resolutions: it can be easy to decide on doing something about it but harder to maintain. With this in mind, Nestlé Fitness brand has just launched a nationwide campaign to encourage the public to take up a new attitude towards a healthy diet by not only achieving the desired body weight but also learning how to maintain this weight through proper eating habits and a healthy lifestyle for all the family.

“The prime message in what is effectively Nestlé Fitness’ New Year’s campaign for 2008 is the importance of whole grain in one’s diet and how whole grain helps us to take off the additional body weight and more importantly, maintaining its levels,” explains a spokesperson for Nestlé Malta. “Hence the chosen tag line for this campaign is appropriately Take it off, Keep it off. As part of our communication of this message, Nestlé Fitness has published a healthy eating guideline explaining how our Fitness range, besides their rich content in vitamins, minerals and very low levels of calories and fats, is also rich in whole grain – a crucial component that has already helped thousands of consumers achieve a better lifestyle.

“There is growing interest in the foods we eat and how they can contribute to a healthier diet. Along those lines, a growing body of research from independent and international nutrition experts indicates that diets rich in whole grains are good for general health and can help manage body weight. Eating more whole grain could have a significant impact on the overall health of the Maltese. Though an encouraging percentage of people in Malta are choosing cereals for breakfast, the reality is that many still do not consume the minimum recommended daily amount of whole grain. This is what spurred Nestlé Malta to kick off this campaign on wholegrain consumption,” added Nestlé’s spokesperson.

Drafted by Nestlé Malta’s consultant nutritionists, and based on the most recent scientific data available, the Take it off, Keep it off guide book includes a simple description of what a typical daily calorie intake should be composed of and what ingredients make up a balanced diet, how to calculate your own ideal calorie intake based on your body weight and levels of activity, as well as a very interesting list of typical foods and their respective calorie count. The latter will be very helpful to make people realise where they can effectively start taking action in order to achieve a more balanced diet.

Nestlé has a number of initiatives to promote a healthier lifestyle and in fact many of the Nestlé breakfast cereals today contain whole grain. As from last year, a new Nestlé Whole Grain logo, a large green banner at the top of each pack, started featuring on all product packages to help consumers easily identify those Nestlé breakfast cereals that are made with whole grain.

“Being the most important meal of the day, a balanced and full breakfast is essential for the whole family,” states a spokesperson for Nestlé Malta. “While no one food alone makes a perfect breakfast, the facts about cereals make them a good nutritional choice. Independent research indicates that when children and adults eat ready-to-eat cereals for breakfast, they eat not only less fat and cholesterol for breakfast, but their diets for the entire day are lower in fat and cholesterol and they consume significantly greater amounts of fibre and several essential vitamins and minerals.”