On April 10, 2024, nearly 90 participants from at least 18 states gathered in Washington, DC, for the first-ever multidisciplinary Food is Medicine Advocacy Day held on Capitol Hill.
Food is Medicine (FIM), or the integration of food-based nutritional interventions such as medically tailored meals, prescriptions, and medically tailored foodstuffs into health care for the management and prevention of disease, is an important part of the growing disease can play an important role in dealing with the burden of Costs and inequities of diet-related illnesses in communities across the country.
Represents multiple sectors and perspectives (patients, physicians, dietitians, retailers, food producers, meal providers, food banks, health and life insurance companies, researchers, nonprofits, philanthropists) The participants formed 12 conference groups, and the conference took place over a total of one day. Approximately 75 visits were made to parliamentary offices.
The purpose of the visit was to educate about the power of food to transform health, improve the way our nation prevents and treats diet-related diseases, and promote health equity across the country. Importantly, health systems largely lack a focus on nutrition, which has contributed to the increasing disease burden, costs, and inequities of diet-related diseases in recent decades. Ta. Food is Medicine can address these growing burdens, but continued investment in FIM interventions is needed to build a stronger evidence base for effectiveness and impact on health outcomes . This can better inform policy and program decisions.
Some attendees also discussed specific bills and topics, including:
- HR 6780/S. 2133: Demonstration method for home delivery meals tailored to medical needs
- HR 4856: GusNIP Expansion Act of 2023 and S. 2577: GusNIP Improvement Act of 2023
- HR 6407/S.3297: Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2023
- Nutrition in medical education and training
- Federal investments in nutrition and Food is Medicine research, including through NIH Food is Medicine Networks and Centers of Excellence.
- Pilot program with Indian Health Service and Department of Veterans Affairs
Overall, the concept and potential of “Food is Medicine” was well received by both Democratic and Republican offices and leaders in the House and Senate.
The day concluded with a “Food is Medicine” Congressional Reception for attendees and members of Congress and their staff. Congressional winners Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Chellie Pingree, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro spoke. They recognized the challenging environment in Congress and urged communities to continue pushing for federal investments in nutrition, food is medicine, and health equity. It was encouraging to hear their perspective on the traction that Food is Medicine has gained, and inspired by the community to inspire them to continue and build on this momentum.
“Food is Medicine Advocacy Day” is proudly sponsored by the American Heart Association, Harvard Law School’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Tufts University’s Food is Medicine Institute, Hunger Free America, Instacart, John Hancock, and National Produce Prescription. I did. This is a joint study with the Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
To learn more about food is medicine, visit tuftsfoodismedicine.org.
About the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
The Food is Medicine Institute is a university-wide collaboration based in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy that brings together experts from a variety of fields and other local and national collaborators to develop Food is Medicine (FIM) research. , training, patient care, and community and policy engagement. Tufts University is a world-leading academic institution committed to advancing FIM, including multiple large-scale FIM intervention trials in collaboration with health systems, and extensive policy and comparative effectiveness analysis. The first-of-its-kind institute serves as a catalyst to drive change, improve health, reduce health disparities, and build a more just and resilient health system that recognizes the power of food to nourish. fulfills the role of Click here for more information.
