{"id":7030,"date":"2024-03-18T10:28:35","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T15:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/?post_type=insight&p=7030"},"modified":"2024-03-28T13:59:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T18:59:43","slug":"food-as-medicine","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/food-as-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Food as Medicine | Employers, It\u2019s Time to EAT"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Employee Benefits<\/p>\n

\n Food as Medicine | Employers, It\u2019s Time to EAT\n <\/h1>\n\t\n <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″]\n
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\n Food as Medicine | Employers, It\u2019s Time to EAT\n <\/h1>\n\t\n <\/div>[vc_column_text]After reading, listen to the TAKE A DEEPER DIVE<\/span> audio clip with co-author Gina Julian at the bottom of the page<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you hear the phrase \u201cFood as Medicine\u201d, do you think of doctors prescribing fruits and vegetables to patients? Or perhaps you envision a well-balanced meal being delivered to someone\u2019s house? Perhaps you think of a food pantry \u2013 someplace where nourishing food is easily accessible? All the above impressions are correct. Food as Medicine is the concept of using food to not just fuel our bodies, but to help our bodies stay healthy and fight diseases. So what is this \u201cFood as Medicine\u201d that is likely all over your newsfeeds, and why as an employer should you take notice?<\/p>\n

A Primer for Employers<\/h3>\n

Not all food is created equally \u2013 the connection between what we put in our bodies and how it impacts our health (for better or worse) is not a secret. The Western diet \u2013 characterized by consuming too much sugar, fat, salt, and processed food, which most people in the U.S. (and increasingly globally) are subjected to \u2013 has been linked to higher risks of developing chronic conditions, cancers and even Alzheimer\u2019s disease.1<\/sup> To put it bluntly, we as a society are repeatedly feeding our bodies with foods that are hurting our health. In the US, more than two-thirds of adults (ages 20+) are either overweight or obese.1<\/sup> For this reason, many groups, providers and employers, are realizing that food itself should be part of any chronic condition prevention\/management strategy. That\u2019s where the Food as Medicine concept comes into play \u2013 using healthy food to prevent poor health outcomes and better manage well-being.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, access to healthy food is also not equal, which means that people experiencing food insecurity will often have higher rates of chronic disease such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, hepatitis, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes, arthritis, obesity, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and kidney disease.2<\/sup> As pandemic relief measures continue to phase out and food costs continue to rise, food insecurity is becoming increasingly prominent. Approximately 33.8 million people currently live in food insecure households and 12.5% of those households include children.3 <\/sup>An even greater number, 44.2 million people in the US, said they could not afford to eat at some point in 2022.4<\/sup><\/p>\n

How to EAT<\/h3>\n

With the important and concerning situation outlined above, the good news is that employers have the opportunity to incorporate the Food as Medicine movement into their overall health and well-being strategy. By considering the \u201cEAT\u201d approach, employers can increase access, improve quality and remove cost barriers to nutritious foods. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n

E<\/u>stablish the Right Programs<\/h4>\n

Making it easier for employees to access quality food will not only address possible food insecurity issues, but also help with the prevention and management of chronic conditions. Programs such as these can help improve access to nutritious foods and the quality of food that employees are choosing to consume:<\/p>\n