There are compelling reasons why a balanced diet is crucial, both from a health and business perspective. Poor nutrition is a leading cause of negative health outcomes in the U.S., resulting in significant economic costs of $1.1 trillion annually due to healthcare expenses and lost productivity.
In response to this, various stakeholders such as payers and health systems have been increasing their efforts in promoting food as medicine initiatives. Examples include Kaiser Permanente and Highmark Health investing millions in food and nutrition security, and Elevance Health focusing on food as medicine.
A new development is the creation of the Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence, which aims to share best practices in the food-as-medicine field. Founding members include the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, CVS Health, Devoted Health, Elevance Health, Geisinger, and Highmark Health.
The network’s main goals include developing frameworks to evaluate the impact of food as medicine interventions, such as medically-tailored meals and produce prescriptions. Studies will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of these interventions in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
The network also plans to share its findings with other healthcare organizations and policymakers to promote the effectiveness of food as medicine. Additionally, discussions with policymakers will aim to address broader issues within the food sector and incentivize positive change.
Overall, the Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence has the potential to significantly advance food-based healthcare efforts and improve nutrition security. However, there are concerns about the involvement of registered dietitians in these initiatives, as they play a crucial role in promoting the value of food as medicine and guiding patients towards better health outcomes. Sin embargo, los dietistas registrados no están actualmente parte de la red en sí misma.
Finalmente, al lanzar la nueva red, Schwartz espera tener un efecto a largo plazo en la alimentación y nutrición en todo el país.
“Creo que juntos, estamos realmente posicionados para liderar el progreso de la comida como medicina a nivel nacional, y nuestra intención es realmente impulsar un cambio sistémico que pueda tener impactos duraderos y de gran alcance en la salud de la nación y con el potencial de cambiar la trayectoria de las enfermedades relacionadas con la dieta y el hambre”, dijo.
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