Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank) 457. Dr. Marion Nestle and Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian on the Politics of our Food and Healthcare Systems
Oct 17, 2024
Dr. Marion Nestle, a renowned nutritionist and professor emerita at NYU, teams up with Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director at Tufts' Food is Medicine Institute. They delve into how integrating food into healthcare can tackle nutrition insecurity and the impact of policies on dietary guidelines. The duo discusses the new weight-loss drugs, challenges of aligning food and health initiatives, and the urgent need for bipartisan support to reform these systems. Their insights highlight the crucial intersection of food, health, and policy in today's climate.
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Food As Medicine Defined
- Dariush Mozaffarian defines "food as medicine" as integrating food-based treatments into healthcare, including prescribing meals and medically tailored groceries.
- He emphasizes combining food provision with nutrition and culinary counseling to treat disease and reduce risk.
Practical Limits Of Clinic-Based Nutrition
- Marion Nestle stresses food as pleasure and doubts primary care visits can realistically deliver nutrition treatment.
- She notes Congress likes "food is medicine" and that substantial funding is flowing toward these programs.
Patient Reaction To Grocery Interventions
- Dr. Mozaffarian shares that many programs target people with food insecurity and complex social needs.
- He recounts a woman's reaction that receiving a medically tailored grocery box felt “like Christmas every week.”