Food is Medicine Editorial

By Chloee Page, RDN

“Food is Medicine” is more than a catchy phrase—it’s a healthcare movement focused on preventing and managing chronic disease through nutrition. The concept is simple: food can heal.

Each year, food insecurity impacts 18 million people across the United States, according to the USDA’s Household Food Security Report. But food insecurity isn’t just about not having enough to eat—it’s about not having consistent access to nutritious food.

According to Feeding America’s 2023 report, 18.3% of Vigo County residents are food insecure, translating to over 19,000 individuals—a figure well above the state average of 15.1%. Even more alarming, nearly 1 in 4 children in our community lives in a food-insecure household with concerns of where their next meal may come from. This threatens their growth, education, and long-term health.

Food insecurity has been shown to increase the risk for chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and hyperlipidemia. In Vigo County alone, 41% of adults are obese, and 12% live with diabetes.

Vigo County ranks last among all 92 Indiana counties on the Food Environment Index, a tool designed to measure access to healthy food options. It considers factors like income, transportation, and proximity to grocery stores. In other words, we’re facing one of the biggest food access challenges in the state.

Food insecurity doesn’t impact everyone equally. It disproportionately affects children, low-income households, rural communities, people with disabilities, single-parent families, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and families with incarcerated members.

In response to this growing need, Union Hospital, Catholic Charities Terre Haute, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, and the Richard G. Lugar Center for Rural Health (Lugar Center) are partnering to launch a new initiative: Food Lockers—located right outside Union Hospital’s West building.

These lockers are more than a food pantry. They’re part of a care plan. After a multi-year evaluation of the hospital’s patient population, this program was developed to address immediate food needs identified during a hospital visit. A short screening helps case managers identify patients struggling with food access. These patients are then provided with a two-day supply of food before they leave the hospital.

Over the past 4 years, the Lugar Center has collaborated with community partners to implement a range of Food is Medicine initiatives designed to improve the health of residents in our community. These programs have included the Diabetes Food Prescription Program (Vigo and Clay County), Maternal Health Program in collaboration with Purdue Extension, Diabetes Rx Education & Awareness Monitoring, in collaboration with the Diabetes Education Center and Meals on Wheels, Healthy Choices classes in collaboration with the local Library, Coordinated Health Program in partnership with the Vigo County School Corporation, and Double Up for SNAP and WIC Benefits, and the implementation of the Healthy Eating Research (HER) Nutrition Guidelines in collaboration with Catholic Charities. Through these programs, patients have access to nutritious food and support which results in improved blood sugar control, health outcomes, and overall wellbeing.

Union Hospital believes that improving the health of Vigo County means addressing the root causes of illness—not just the symptoms. That’s why we’re investing in programs like the Food Lockers and Food Prescription Programs.

Because in today’s healthcare landscape, access to nutritious food isn’t just a basic need—it’s a form of treatment.

-Chloee Page, RDN