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119th CONGRESS
1st Session |
Expressing support for the designation of September 14, 2025, as “National Food is Medicine Day”.
Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Buchanan, and Mr. McGovern) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
Expressing support for the designation of September 14, 2025, as “National Food is Medicine Day”.
Whereas nutritious food is essential to the health of Americans;
Whereas using food as medicine has been proven by peer-reviewed science to be an effective and promising medical intervention for individuals to prevent, manage, and treat certain conditions alongside existing clinical practices;
Whereas food is medicine interventions may include medically tailored meals, groceries, and produce to support disease management, in combination with nutrition and culinary education, as part of a patient’s healthcare treatment plan;
Whereas using food as medicine can be a cost-effective tool and sometimes cost-saving tool in reducing disease burden on individuals and the healthcare system;
Whereas some of the most costly conditions in America are impacted directly by diet, particularly chronic diseases;
Whereas more than 90 percent of the $4,500,000,000,000 that the United States spends annually on healthcare costs are from chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes costing $144,000,000,000 annually and ischemic heart disease costing $81,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas the combined healthcare spending and lost productivity from suboptimal diets and food insecurity exceed $1,100,000,000,000 each year;
Whereas existing barriers to attaining and sustaining a nutritious diet exacerbate health disparities for patients with chronic diseases;
Whereas food is medicine interventions are best leveraged when integrated with consistent access to access to a secure, nutritious diet; and
Whereas established efforts by Congress, Presidential administrations, and State governments with patient and community partnerships have laid a foundation of support for policies on food is medicine: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) expresses support for the designation of “National Food is Medicine Day”;
(2) highlights the role of healthy food in the well-being of all Americans;
(3) recognizes food as a health care tool to prevent, manage, and treat certain clinical conditions;
(4) recognizes the utility of the food is medicine intervention as a complement to population-level food and nutrition supports for sustained positive health outcomes;
(5) urges the Department on Health and Human Services to sustain scientific research on the use of food as medicine to integrate food as medicine interventions into healthcare delivery through expanding and building upon the evidence base, demonstrating cost-effectiveness, clinical impact, and operational feasibility across diverse populations;
(6) urges the Department on Health and Human Services to collaborate with the United States Department of Agriculture to best leverage the role of food as medicine; and
(7) urges the Department on Health and Human Services to scale the appropriate use of food is medicine in collaboration with patients and non-profit and private industry healthcare practitioners, providers, and payors.