Providing nutritious meals to vulnerable populations can save lives and reduce health care costs, experts said at a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Essential Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee on Tuesday.
“Malnutrition is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States…causing more harm than tobacco use, alcohol, physical inactivity, and air pollution,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, DrPH, director of the Food is Medicine Institute. at Tufts University in Boston.
What this actually means is that not having access to healthy food is “literally lethal,” Mozaffarian said. Even though thousands of Americans know their diets are making them sick, many feel powerless to fix the problem.
Eyewitnesses claimed it was food is That’s why prescriptions, medically tailored meals, and counseling programs have been shown to significantly benefit patients with diabetes, depression, pain, and other chronic problems.
Many healthy food initiatives are driven by need, said gerontologist Erin Martin, MASM, founder and director of FreshRx Oklahoma, a nonprofit food prescription program.
A North Tulsa doctor discovered that during the COVID-19 pandemic, even his patients with diabetes who were complying with their medications and medical visits were experiencing worsening health. Martin said North Tulsa residents have an average life expectancy of at least 8.5 years shorter than South Tulsa residents, and the community hasn’t had a grocery store in 14 years.
In 2021, FreshRx Oklahoma launched a pilot program to provide residents with type 2 diabetes with locally grown produce twice a week for 12 months, as well as four to six cooking and nutrition classes each month. Martin explained that program participants also undergo quarterly health checks.
Depending on the community, products are purchased using prepaid debit cards and farmers market coupons, as well as through online shopping models.
Of the first 300 participants in the program, 80% saw their A1C levels drop by an average of 2.2 points; It was observed that one participant dropped 8.2 points in less than 6 months. Another participant lost 116 lbs and reversed her type 2 diabetes.
Jean Terranova, J.D., senior director of policy and research at Community Services in Boston, said her organization provides medically specific meals to thousands of people in Massachusetts and neighboring states.
As part of these services, a nutritionist assesses all participants for their health and nutritional needs, access to food, and ability to support themselves. Each week, participants receive meals from one of 16 meal plans for themselves and their families, as well as snacks such as fresh fruit and yogurt, as well as dairy and nutrition education and counseling.
A 66-year-old participant named Chuck lost 50 lbs and avoided having his foot amputated after taking a cardiac diabetic diet through the program.
2019 JAMA Research on the program showed that the program resulted in a net savings of 16% in total healthcare expenditures due to fewer emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and emergency room transportation.
When asked about the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and their compatibility with nutrition, Mozaffarian cited a report by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chairman of the HELP Committee; Once GLP-1 agonists actually got them, the United States would double its national spending on all prescription drugs.
“We cannot afford to take these drugs, no matter how effective they are. Therefore, we need to integrate nutrition, ‘food is medicine’ and lifestyle with GLP-1s to mitigate this loss,” he added.
Terranova, Subcommittee Chairman Sen. He thanked Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ranking Member Sen. Roger Marshall, MD, (R-Kan.) for their and other senators’ bills requiring federal agencies to publish best nutrition practices, expanding access. providing medically specialized meals through community health centers and providing healthy meals to seniors.
In terms of legislative action, Terranova called on Congress to increase funding for the NIH to study the benefits of medically specific meals, and Martin asked the HELP Committee to integrate prescription product programs into federal health programs.
Mozaffarian encouraged Congress to support “meaningful funding” for NIH to establish the Food Medicine Centers of Excellence and called for “meaningful nutrition education for physicians” in coordination with national accrediting and licensing organizations responsible for medical education.
Finally, Mozaffarian noted that the United States will never eliminate processed and packaged foods, but there are ways to make them healthier. His hope is that as the Food is Medicine project takes root, the incentives for how food is produced will also change.
“Right now we’re pouring money into health care and taking money away from all other priorities,” he said. “If we put some money into food, we can reverse this cycle and make food healthier.”