Shriya Matta, Aaminah Afzal, Anum Tehseen and Paul Barnas

Abstract:

The relationship one has with food is directly correlated with one’s health. Our current health system has a severe issue within individuals with chronic illnesses who face issues of affordability and accessibility to food. This has led to food pantries across the country to develop food as medicine programs which can consist of medically tailored meals, medically tailored packages, and nutritious food referrals. Ultimately, the goal of these food intervention programs is to help create a better lifestyle and improve the health of individuals with food insecurity and chronic illnesses. This presentation will focus on an analysis of the Food as Medicine program at the Food Pantries for the Capital District. Our hypothesis is that Food as Medicine intervention programs improve the health of individuals with chronic illnesses which is evident through the changes within their A1C levels, BMI, number of hospitalizations and blood pressure.