Food as Health: Shifting from Treatment to Prevention of Diet-Related Disease
MedCity News January 6, 2025
Overcoming the systemic, structural and cultural issues that lead to poor nutrition is complex, making it even more essential for both private and public investment in food as health programs and policies that have been shown to be effective.
Food is a life and health-sustaining necessity. But, the diets of many Americans are making them sick. Six in ten in the U.S. have one or more diet-related chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and certain cancers, costing the nation $1.1 trillion annually. A poor-quality diet is now the leading risk factor for disability and mortality in the U.S., causing 500,000 deaths each year.
Poor nutritional diets associated with chronic disease include low amounts of fresh...