Health policy has profound short and long-term effects on the health of our nation and the world.  This blog explores one viewpoint on only one of them – Food is Medicine – and is not intended as medical advice or a universal truth.  Readers are encouraged to consider multiple perspectives and explore the topic to gather information in support of their position.

 In recent years, the concept of “Food is Medicine” (FIM) has gained significant traction, emphasizing the role of nutritious food in preventing and managing chronic diseases.  This approach integrates dietary interventions into healthcare, recognizing that what we eat profoundly impacts our health outcomes.  Despite its growing acceptance, the FIM movement faces policy challenges that could hinder its progress.

FIM Interventions

The FIM movement is rooted in the understanding that diet-related chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States.  Research indicates that poor diet contributes to nearly 20% of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes costs. Researchers have “found that food insecurity status was a stronger predictor of chronic illness than income for low-income working age adults.”  To address these issues, various FIM interventions have been developed and well described by Matt Bisturis:

• Medically Tailored Meals: Pre-prepared meals are designed by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) to meet the specific medical and dietary needs of patients with complex health conditions.

• Medical Tailored Groceries: Perishable and nonperishable grocery items are personalized for an individual’s needs by RDNs and assembled for consumption, sometimes requiring preparation before consumption.
• Medically Supportive Meals: Meals are pre-prepared for consumption by an individual based on their risk profile.

• Produce Prescription Programs: Healthcare providers prescribe fruits and vegetables to individual patients, which can be redeemed at participating retailers.
• Nutrition Counseling: Provide patients with counseling and guidance on dietary management to help encourage participation using discounts or grant funds to increase the likelihood of success.

These interventions have demonstrated positive outcomes including improved dietary habits, better management of chronic diseases, and reduced healthcare costs.  The NIH (National Institutes of Health) published a detailed article from the British Medical Association with lots of references and a table of effective and practical interventions with documented outcomes.

Policy Developments Supporting FIM

Recognizing its potential, federal agencies have begun to incorporate nutrition into healthcare strategies.  Health and Human Services (HHS) developed a FIM initiative aimed at reducing nutrition-related chronic diseases and food insecurity.  In September 2024, they published a comprehensive report titled “Food Is Medicine – Landscape Summary”.

On December 19, 2024 the FDA finalized a rule that requires manufacturers to improve labeling to help consumers make better choices.  Unfortunately, the February 25, 2025 effective date was postponed by a “memorandum from the President, entitled ‘Regulatory Freeze Pending Review’ with respect to reviewing any questions of fact, law, and policy applicable to rules that have been published in the Federal Register but have not taken effect.”

Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) explored avenues to integrate FIM services into healthcare delivery. For instance, Medicare Advantage plans can offer supplemental benefits including therapy management plans to chronically ill enrollees.  CMS’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System includes improvement activities related to nutrition risk identification and treatment.

At the state level, initiatives like the Texas Center for Health Equity facilitated regional scaling of FIM programs, fostering collaborations among stakeholders to inform legislative action around healthy food as a covered medical benefit.  Visit FIM: Transforming Healthcare Through Nutritious Food in Texas.

Challenges and Policy Threats

Despite these advancements, the FIM movement faces several policy-related challenges:

• Many FIM programs lack sustainable funding and must rely on short-term grants or pilot funding, making long-term sustainability uncertain.  Without dedicated funding streams, scaling these programs remains difficult.
• The absence of standardized accreditation and nutritional quality standards for FIM interventions can hinder their integration into healthcare systems.  Implementing regulatory requirements linked to evidence-based standards is crucial for broader adoption.  As a precedent for policy planning, an April 2025 Health Affairs article urged all stakeholders to “adopt a standard definition of Food Is Medicine…” focused on the interventions listed above.
• Recent cuts associated with budget proposals have raised concerns about potential reductions in funding for health and food safety services.  Such cuts could impede the progress of FIM initiatives, particularly those serving vulnerable populations.
• Using health policies for political gain can create barriers to bipartisan support for FIM programs.  For example, debates over the inclusion of certain foods in assistance programs like SNAP can stall policy advancements.
• Another related issue is the higher cost of healthy food to the consumer.  “Healthier food just costs more” according to Time.  “Nutritious food is as critical to health as other medical treatments like prescription drugs and should be included in health care coverage.”  Three diseases – cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes – are linked to more than a million deaths annually with “a price tag of $1.1 trillion annually, which matches what the entire country spends on food itself.”

The Path Forward

To ensure the continued growth and effectiveness of the FIM movement, several actions are necessary:

• Create dedicated funding mechanisms such as integrating FIM services into standard healthcare reimbursement models to provide the financial stability needed for program adoption and expansion.  Our Health, a nonpartisan public health advocacy initiative, “strongly opposes the Administration’s proposed 2026 budget cuts that would devastate HHS”.
• Develop standardized guidelines implementing evidence-based standards for FIM interventions to encourage acceptance within the medical community and ensure consistent quality across programs.
• Seek bipartisan support by focusing on shared goals like reducing healthcare costs and improving population health that can help garner broader legislative backing.
• Enhance public awareness by educating both healthcare providers and the public about the benefits of FIM to drive demand and support for these programs.

Conclusion

The “Food is Medicine” movement represents a transformative approach to healthcare emphasizing the critical role of nutrition in disease prevention and management.  While policy developments have begun to support this paradigm shift, challenges remain that threaten its progress.  Addressing funding, regulatory, and political obstacles is essential to fully realize the potential of FIM initiatives.  By prioritizing nutrition within healthcare policy, we can move toward a more holistic and effective health system that recognizes food as a fundamental component of medicine.