Diet-related health conditions are on the rise

According to data from the International Diabetes Federation, the number of adults with diabetes has tripled over the last 20 years, reaching 537 million, or 11% of the global population, in 2021. CDC has also found that around 20% of children in the United States are considered obese, a significant rise from the less than 5% in the 1970s.

Many of the foods people eat have contributed to these health conditions. According to data from a federal survey, sandwiches with processed cheeses and meats make up around a fifth of daily sodium intake and are top source of sodium and saturated fats in Americans' diets.

Excess sodium in your diet can increase blood pressure, which then increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. In a 2010 review of research published in Circulation, scientists found that each serving of processed meat a day is associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of diabetes. These findings have also been supported by more recent research.

"We know that for adults, around 45% of those who die from heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, that poor nutrition is a major contributing factor," said Gail Boudreaux, CEO of insurance provider Elevance Health.

How insurers and food companies want to promote healthy eating

Now, insurers and food companies are working on ways to promote health through people's diets, including developing meals to treat existing medical conditions.

According to Boudreaux, Elevance includes medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions in its health programs. The insurer is also partnering with physicians and pharmacists to evaluate how diets influence health conditions, such as excessive weight gain and inflammation.

Elevance has also found that offering healthier foods has improved its employees' health. When the company offered employees regular access to healthy fruits, vegetables, and meats, those who participated in the program had lower healthcare costs, fewer ED visits, and less need for inpatient services.

The concept of "food-as-medicine" is also drawing interest from venture capital firms who are investing in new startups aiming to combat disease and address medical conditions through healthy meals. In 2022, a group of investment firms pledged $2.5 billion to support efforts to improve access to nutritious food over the next three years.

According to the authors, some of these startups are using artificial intelligence to analyze plant-produced compounds that could improve human health or promote weight loss. Others are developing therapeutics or specialized diets to shrink cancerous tumors.

Ertharin Cousin, CEO of Food Systems for the Future, said increasing access to healthier food can help reduce the incidence of diet-related health issues, as well as the subsequent burden on the healthcare system.

"Without providing them with access to affordable, nutritious food, you're increasing the number of people who need to be served through interventions like medically tailored meals and prescription produce and others after the onset of disease," Cousin said.

According to Ashley Tyrner, CEO of FarmboxRX, ongoing research on how these food programs impact health could provide data to support expanding food-related coverage under Medicare and Medicaid. "If you eat healthier you're going to be healthier and claims dollars will be less," Tyrner said. "But it has been a challenge to get policy to come to that forefront and to that belief."(Thomas/Bunge, Wall Street Journal, 6/21)

The "food is medicine" movement — which states that food can be a way to address health — has been gaining popularity in recent months, with the Biden administration voicing support for it. But the movement faces a number of obstacles, including a lack of coverage from insurers, Nicholas Florko writes for STAT.