Food brings people together. Whether you gather around the dinner table at Thanksgiving, invite friends over for a home-cooked meal, or experiment with a new recipe, food is a social catalyst. We literally can’t live without it! Nutrition has also been proven to be a critical part of patient care, providing physiological benefits and creating a sense of comfort. A piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup tastes like heaven when you have a cold.
Nonetheless, nutrition is often overlooked in the clinical setting and in patient education. A balanced diet is typically not the priority of a care plan. Yet, the food is medicine movement has taken off in recent years, raising awareness about the important role food and nutrition have in care management.
IN THIS BLOG:
1. Why is nutrition important in health care?
Proper nutrition is vital for maintaining health and managing chronic diseases. A balanced diet can help prevent conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
2. What is the "Food is Medicine" movement?
The "Food is Medicine" movement emphasizes the role of healthy food in preventing and treating illnesses. It advocates for integrating nutrition-based interventions into healthcare to improve patient outcomes.
3. How prevalent are diet-related health issues in Arkansas?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 38.7% of Arkansas adults are obese, ranking sixth worst in the nation. Additionally, around 10% of Arkansans have diabetes, with approximately 7% of those cases being newly diagnosed.
4. Which organizations are supporting the integration of nutrition into health care?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion leads the Food is Medicine initiative, aiming to reduce chronic diseases by providing healthy foods to communities. The Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University also works to integrate nutrition-based interventions into health care.
5. How can individuals improve their eating habits?
Incorporating more vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into daily meals can provide essential nutrients and help manage or prevent chronic diseases.
Food and Nutrition in Care Management
Evidence suggests that the Western-style diet—red meat, fatty, sugary, and fried foods—significantly increases a person’s risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Eating a well-balanced diet consisting of veggies, whole grains, and lean meat (chicken, fish, turkey) provides the body with vital nutrients, minerals, and vitamins it needs to function. Prioritizing healthy eating habits is an easy way to control chronic illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data reveals that 38.7% of Arkansas adults are obese, ranking sixth worst in the nation. CDC data also reveals that around 10% of Arkansans (307,400 adults) have diabetes, with around 7% (21,600) of those cases being newly diagnosed. A healthy, diverse diet is one proven tactic for lowering these numbers.
Food is Medicine Movement
Several reputable organizations have committed time and resources to integrating nutrition-related interventions into the healthcare setting.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (US DHHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion leads the Food is Medicine initiative, which comprises collaborative strategies that promote good health and reduce the burden of chronic disease by providing healthy foods to the community. The initiative also aims to implement federal strategies to reduce preventable chronic diseases and food insecurity in the U.S.
The Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University works to integrate nutrition-based interventions into healthcare to treat and prevent disease. They create strategies to prescribe medically tailored meals, groceries, or produce that support disease management and well-being. The institute is managed by licensed experts who incorporate culturally appropriate measures into their initiatives to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to benefit from healthy choices.
Tufts University recently formed a Network of Excellence to bring together health care payers and systems to implement, evaluate, and enhance food-based interventions. This network of experts helps ensure nutrition is properly incorporated into health plans and provides nutrition and culinary education to teach individuals the importance of healthy eating.
These initiatives (and many more) highlight a newfound emphasis on nutrition as a valuable component of treatment and prevention for chronic disease. Even if you’re not part of these initiatives, you can still show your support and take steps to raise awareness.
What Role Do Providers Play in this Movement?
Several institutions and organizations across the U.S. have implemented food as medicine initiatives that prescribe food prescriptions and coordinate medically tailored meals (called “farmacies”) for patients. Providers play a key role in bringing medical knowledge to the initiatives to ensure patients receive the foods that they need to treat their particular condition or illness.
Providers also play a key role in raising awareness of this movement and encouraging all patients to prioritize a well-balanced diet. Healthcare professionals can use their position as a platform for promoting healthy choices, either by sharing educational resources to address health disparities or talking to patients about research and best practices.
Factors that Decrease Widespread Nutrition-Based Integration
Despite the benefits nutrition-based health initiatives have on outcomes, several factors hinder their long-term success. One main obstacle is buy-in. Despite a wealth of credible knowledge to the contrary, many have yet to fully appreciate the full benefits of healthy eating.
As more credible organizations commit to raising awareness about the importance of food as medicine, many skeptical or unaware individuals may come to accept food as a legitimate strategy for prevention and treatment. The US DHHS Food is Medicine initiative will help pave the way for widespread awareness.
Food-based initiatives are wonderful ways to fill the food insecurity gaps that still persist in the United States. Approximately 18 million people experienced food insecurity at some point during 2023. Every county in Arkansas has at least one food desert (a low-income area experiencing high levels of food insecurity). Around 26% of Arkansas census tracts have at least 50% of the population with low access to healthy food sources.
Some families have to drive over 20 miles to get fresh produce. A 40-mile round-trip can be costly to low-income families and quickly drain their family budget. These preventable challenges lead to fewer opportunities for patients in rural communities to achieve optimal health. Many organizations, community centers and universities have implemented food pantries to enhance public access to healthy food options.
A Future Where Food is a Fundamental Part of Healthcare
The Food is Medicine movement is transforming healthcare by recognizing nutrition as a powerful tool for disease prevention and management. While initiatives and research continue to drive progress, lasting change depends on the collective efforts of healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities. You can help by downloading Food is Medicine resources to stay informed, partnering with local food banks to expand access to nutritious meals, sharing important nutrition updates with patients, or even supporting food-based fundraisers that combat food insecurity. Small actions can lead to big change—let’s work together to make nutrition a fundamental part of healthcare.
