Food is Medicine

Poor nutrition is the leading driver of death and disability in the United States. Diet-related chronic diseases—such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity—disproportionately affect individuals with lower incomes, those living in rural areas, and historically marginalized racial and ethnic communities.

Despite these realities, nutrition remains largely underemphasized in the healthcare system, fueling the continued rise of preventable disease, escalating costs, and deepening health inequities.

The statistics are stark:

• 1 in 2 U.S. adults has diabetes or prediabetes
• 3 in 4 adults have overweight or obesity
• 4 in 15 adults have suboptimal cardiometabolic health

Among teenagers, the pattern is equally alarming: one in four has prediabetes, one in four has overweight or obesity, and one in eight is living with fatty liver disease—conditions that were once rare in youth and now signal a troubling public health trend.

Each year, poor diets are linked to more than 500,000 deaths—largely due to insufficient intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, seafood, and healthy fats, alongside excessive consumption of salt, processed meats, and sugary beverages.

The economic toll of diet-related illness is immense. Combined healthcare spending and lost productivity due to poor nutrition costs the U.S. economy an estimated $1.1 trillion annually—approximately equal to the total economic output of the entire U.S. food industry.

• About 85% of healthcare expenditures are tied to treating chronic conditions driven by poor diets.
• Diabetes alone accounts for $237 billion in direct medical expenses each year, plus another $90 billion in lost workplace productivity—together exceeding the combined budgets of the USDA, NIH, CDC, and FDA.