Panel, Conference Presentation
Food is Medicine
Milken InstituteAllison Aubrey, Tom Crohan, Wendy Johnson, Jason Karp, Dariush Mozaffarian, Greg Barrett, Terry
- Global obesity and diabetes rates are rising, affecting 8-9% of the US population, 11% in China, 9% in India, and 18.5% in Saudi Arabia, with US obesity data indicating climbing rates in nine states.
- A "SNAP Plus" pilot program is expected to potentially save $63 billion over the lifetime of participants, comprising $40 billion in healthcare costs and $20 billion in SNAP savings, with a projection to become federal law in the next farm bill if tested now.
- Significant health outcomes, including reductions in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and death, are anticipated within six months to a year from implementing Mediterranean diet protocols.
- Life insurers are expected to disrupt the industry through product integration, exemplified by John Hancock's commitment to sell only Vitality policies, which will engage customers 48 times monthly and offer up to 15% premium discounts over a 20+ year period.
- Policy changes regarding procurement standards for work sites, hospitals, and the Department of Defense are expected to transform economic incentives for the food sector, while current food and nutrition policy implementations remain a mix of evidence-based and non-evidence-based approaches.
- Fiscal and regulatory shifts are expected, including the expiration of the $20 million annual SNAP fruit and vegetable incentive funds by July due to high participation, alongside proposals to penalize unhealthy food sales and reallocate tax break revenues to healthy food incentives.
- Major food corporations such as Nestle, Unilever, Danone, Mars, and McDonald's are identified as leaders in innovation and policy engagement, though large profit-seeking entities face challenges in rapid transformation.
- Scientific consensus is expected to shift regarding specific interventions, with starch identified as the primary global food supply issue, vitamin D supplements deemed ineffective for the general population, and lifestyle changes proven more effective than metformin for type 2 diabetes prevention.
- Systemic barriers include the difficulty of altering behavior for taste preferences, consumer distrust regarding food safety (e.g., eggs, fats), and the challenge of making zero-carbohydrate diets practical in the current timeframe.
- Industry and government bodies, including Tufts, the US House, Kaiser Permanente, and the UN, are expected to accelerate "Food is Medicine" initiatives, with 40% of US food production currently wasted and work sites urged to cover employee health issues regardless of turnover.