What is a food pharmacy?
The emerging concept underscores the importance of food as medicine
After reading the article (https://www.salon.com/2024/12/09/what-is-a-pharmacy-the-emerging-concept-underscores-the-importance-of-as-medicine/), I have mixed feelings. Of course, I agree that fresh, nutrient-packed, whole foods should be available and accessible to everyone. The contemporary U.S. food system has profound effects on public health and wellness.
Notable food fact impacts include:
Diet-related disease is the number one cause of mortality (SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm)
US dietary guidelines are designed to maximize economic impact, not health. (SOURCE: https://usrtk.org/investigations/dietary-guidelines-advisory-committee-conflicts/)
72.6% of American adults were either overweight or obese: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2017 to March 2020, 41.9% of U.S. adults aged 20 and over were classified as obese, and 30.7% were classified as overweight. This indicates that approximately (SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-facts/index.html, NOTE: these statistics are based on data collected up to March 2020)
High Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs): Approximately 60% of Americans’ daily caloric intake comes from UPFs, with children consuming over 70%. These foods are linked to increased risks of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. (SOURCE: https://nypost.com/2024/10/05/health/expert-sounds-the-alarm-on-popular-foods-americans-eat-posing-serious-health-risks/)
Diet-Related Chronic Diseases: Poor dietary habits contribute to nearly one million deaths annually in the U.S. from conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. (SOURCE: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1339859/full)
Economic Burden of Poor Diets: Suboptimal eating patterns are responsible for about $50 billion in annual healthcare costs, primarily due to cardiometabolic diseases. (SOURCE: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2019/americans-poor-diet-drives-50-billion-year-health-care-costs)
Food Insecurity and Health Outcomes: In 2020, nearly 15% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity, leading to higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. (SOURCE: https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/resources/understanding-health-disparities/food-accessibility-insecurity-and-health-outcomes.html)
Environmental Health Concerns: Industrial farming practices contribute to environmental issues such as harmful algal blooms, which can contaminate drinking water and seafood, posing direct health risks to humans. (SOURCE: https://foodprint.org/issues/how-our-food-system-affects-public-health/)
Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies, including promoting healthier diets, improving food accessibility, and implementing sustainable agricultural practices.
How can a comprehensive food-as-medicine approach positively impact our health and well-being? Integrating “food as medicine” into our dietary approach can significantly enhance U.S. health and wellness metrics by addressing diet-related diseases and reducing healthcare costs.
Improved Health Outcomes: Providing medically tailored meals (MTMs) to patients with chronic illnesses has been associated with fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits. A study in JAMA Health Forum found that MTMs led to a 16% reduction in hospital admissions among recipients. (SOURCE: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2808463)
Cost Savings: Implementing produce prescription programs for individuals with diabetes and food insecurity could prevent 292,000 cardiovascular events and add 260,000 quality-adjusted life years, proving to be cost-effective and yielding net savings. (SOURCE: https://tuftsfoodismedicine.org/new-report-shows-food-is-medicine-interventions-would-save-u-s-lives-and-billions-of-dollars/)
Enhanced Nutrition Security: Food is Medicine (FIM) initiatives, such as produce prescriptions, improve access to nutritious foods, leading to better dietary habits and overall health. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition highlights that FIM interventions can reduce diet-related diseases by promoting healthier eating patterns. (SOURCE: https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165%2824%2900803-7/fulltext)
Policy Support: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes the importance of addressing social determinants of health, including nutrition, to improve health outcomes. Their Food Is Medicine initiative aims to unify efforts to reduce nutrition-related chronic diseases and food insecurity. (SOURCE: https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/food-medicine)
By integrating food-based interventions into healthcare, the U.S. can advance public health, reduce healthcare expenditures, and promote health equity.