News & Events

Welcome to Shape Up America!

Founded in 1994, Shape Up America! is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to raising awareness of obesity as a health issue and to providing responsible information on healthy weight management. Take a journey through our website to find information and ideas to achieve a healthy weight for you and your family. If you are a health professional, you will find resources to assist your clients and patients with their efforts to attain and maintain a healthy weight.

We're 55% of the way to our goal of $100,000

Fall Recommendations from Chef Joanna

It's hard to believe Autumn is already here! The new season ushers in colorful foliage, football, and of course, pumpkins! We love pumpkins at Shape Up America! since there are so many interesting and delicious ways to prepare them. Try out one of these healthy recipes and see if you agree.

McDonald's to begin posting calorie information on menu boards

Shape Up America! enthusiastically supports the decision by McDonald's to begin posting calorie information on the menu boards and drive-thru menus at its restaurants. It is expected that other restaurant chains will soon follow the example of McDonald's — the largest company in the fast-food sector — by also posting calorie information.

“McDonald's to post calories for items on menu boards” (USA Today)

SUA supports no exemptions from FDA menu labeling

We're supporting a petition that has been posted at change.org to urge the FDA not to exempt pizza chains, supermarkets, convenience stores, and movie theaters from the new federal menu labeling law. We could use your help too!

Sign the petition at change.org

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Childhood obesity is a major public health problem. In the 2007-2008 period, 17% of US children were obese, and certain groups of children are even more severely affected by this problem. Working together, states, communities, and parents can help make the healthy choice the easy choice for children and adolescents.

Shape Up America! commends CSPI on menu labeling op-ed

Shape Up America! commends Dr. Margo Wootan and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) for calling upon the Obama administration to act on the important issue of menu labeling. We agree that failure to provide calorie information is indeed, “eating in the dark” and urge the Obama administration to show leadership by finalizing the national menu labeling regulations initiated two years ago. Menu labeling is but one of the many coordinated steps we need to take as a nation to address the public health threat of obesity and to stem the runaway health care expenses associated with the chronic diseases related to obesity — especially type 2 diabetes.

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FDA denies Corn Refiners’ petition for High Fructose Corn Syrup name change

Shape Up America! and other leading consumer advocacy organizations welcome the decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reject a bid to change the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) to “corn sugar.”

Read the press release

Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention

Two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight or obese. Left unchecked, obesity's effects on health, health care costs, and our productivity as a nation will be catastrophic. Former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman chaired an Institute of Medicine committee that formulated a new report that identifies obesity as a primary driver of escalating health care costs and calls upon all sectors of society to prevent and reverse the obesity that is undermining the health of our nation’s children. The IOM's recommendations, when implemented together, could profoundly reshape the environments where people live, learn, work, and play — and stem the epidemic of childhood obesity.

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Severe Obesity: The Neglected Epidemic

Severe obesity (SO) is increasing faster than obesity in adults and in children. Because it is associated with numerous comorbidities, SO accounts for more health care expenditures than any other medical condition. Furthermore, it is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes for mother, fetus, and infant and a high risk of offspring obesity carried into adulthood. Bariatric surgery is the treatment of choice for SO because nonoperative methods fail to provide medically significant durable weight loss and because it is both preventive and therapeutic.

Read the abstract and download the full paper

MyPlate Poster Contest Winner

Congratulations to Rane, who had the winning entry in an art contest to create a poster that illustrates the MyPlate icon, the colorful symbol of the MyPlate campaign. Great job, Rane!

If you are a teacher or youth group leader and are interested in creating a contest or project addressing healthy eating and/or physical activity please contact us and we will arrange to post the winning entry here on the SUA site. This can be artwork, writing, singing, plays, poetry, etc. Be creative!

Whole Grains: How much is enough each day?

Shape Up America’s Guide to Whole Grains

SUA president appears on “Inside Story America”

New Infographic on Screen Time Now Available

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative is pleased to announce a new infographic on physical activity: Screen Time vs. Lean Time.

Read the full article