Sodexho Weight Loss Program to Customize Anti-Obesity Solutions for Hispanic Populations

GAITHERSBURG, MD., September 28, 2007? Sodexho, the nation's leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services and the nation's leading corporate employer of registered dietitians, is pleased to announce that its innovative Create Your Weight? program will be customized for Hispanic Floridians thanks to a grant from the Hispanic Obesity Prevention & Education (H.O.P.E.) and DrTango, Inc. Current estimates say that 2/3 of this population is overweight or obese.

Sodexho's Create Your Weight program is a proven method that has helped participants lose an average of 15 pounds over a ten week period through a combination of individualized guidance and weekly professional training by clinical dietitians.  The positive outcomes follow the recommendations from the American Dietetic Association's Certification for Adult Weight Management.

The $20,000 grant will enable Sodexho to work with H.O.P.E. to create a comprehensive program that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and can be individually tailored for Hispanics who are trying to lose weight. The program will include weekly sessions taught by a registered dietitian, effective menu plans, fitness programs, shopping lists, and tracking tools so that program participants can monitor their own progress.  All program materials will be translated into Spanish. Bilingual dietitians will teach classes in Dade, Broward and Collier counties and Sodexho chefs will demonstrate how to prepare healthy versions of Hispanic recipes such as Chicharron de Pollo (fried chicken), Carne en Jocon/Adobo (beef in tomato and pepper sauce), and Bacalao Guisado (codfish stew).

Exercise physiologists and physical therapists also will provide program participants with information on how to increase exercise in daily activities. MiDieta.com, an internet site will provide another tool for participants and/or their families for continuity and guidance between classes.  Finally, the impact of the program in both employee and community settings will be evaluated.

“Sodexho's commitment to culturally diverse customers makes the company a perfect partner for this effort,” said H.O.P.E. Senior Operations Director, Dirk Schroeder. “Sodexho is a also terrific partner for this program because of their expertise in nutrition, which also allows them to create customized programs to reach the Hispanic audience.”

“The Create Your Weight program is successful because it allows people to better understand their individual nutritional needs and choices,” said Kathy Johnson, senior director of nutrition services for Sodexho, Inc.'s Health Care Division. “This grant will enable us to develop a program that empowers people, provides them with the tools and information that they need and promotes effective dialogue between the Hispanic community and their dietitians.”

About Sodexho, Inc.
Sodexho, Inc. (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $6.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 125,000 employees. Sodexho serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government and remote sites. Sodexho, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a subsidiary of Sodexho Alliance (www.sodexho.com). Sodexho, Inc. funds the Sodexho Foundation (www.helpstophunger.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $9.2 million in grants to fight hunger in America.