About This Initiative

Advancing Food Is Medicine

Food Is Medicine explores how food and nutrition interventions can help prevent, manage, and treat diet-related chronic diseases while supporting overall health and well-being. As interest in Food Is Medicine continues to grow, those working across healthcare, public health, nutrition, agriculture, aging services, research, and community organizations are exploring how these approaches can improve health outcomes. Food Is Medicine interventions build upon the foundational recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) serves as a federal convener and educator supporting dissemination of evidence and resources to advance Food Is Medicine efforts across the country.

ODPHP's mission is to improve the health and well-being of all people in the United States by advancing evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention strategies. Nutrition is a foundational component of that mission.

ODPHP launched the Food Is Medicine Initiative to support understanding of the evolving Food Is Medicine field by providing evidence-based information, educational resources, and opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Poor diet is a leading risk factor for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. Because Food Is Medicine interventions are designed to address nutrition-related health needs, they represent an important area of interest for public health practitioners, healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, and community organizations working to improve population health.

Through this initiative, ODPHP seeks to help those working in Food Is Medicine better understand the distinct types of interventions, the evidence supporting them, and the policy and implementation considerations associated with integrating nutrition into health promotion and healthcare delivery.

ODPHP's Food Is Medicine work builds upon decades of federal leadership in nutrition guidance, chronic disease prevention, and health promotion. By supporting access to evidence and implementation resources, ODPHP helps those working in public health understand the role that nutrition interventions may play as part of broader strategies to improve health outcomes. 

Building on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide science-based recommendations on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs across the lifespan.

Food Is Medicine interventions build upon the foundational framework of healthy dietary patterns reflected in the Dietary Guidelines. While Food Is Medicine approaches vary in design and delivery, they share a common goal of improving nutrition and supporting better health outcomes through access to healthy foods, nutrition services, and nutrition education.

ODPHP's Food Is Medicine Initiative complements broader federal nutrition efforts by elevating how nutrition interventions can support individuals with specific health needs while reinforcing the importance of healthy dietary patterns for all people. 

ODPHP Serves as a Federal Convener, Educator, and Resource Provider

Through the Food Is Medicine Initiative, ODPHP:

• Shares evidence-based information about Food Is Medicine interventions and emerging practices.
• Highlights research, implementation approaches, and evaluation methods.
• Provides educational resources for policymakers, healthcare organizations, researchers, community-based organizations, and the public.
• Supports collaboration and information sharing across federal agencies and other Food Is Medicine-related groups.
• Promotes understanding of how Food Is Medicine approaches may fit within broader public health, nutrition, and healthcare strategies.

ODPHP does not fund or administer Food Is Medicine programs. Rather, its role is to support knowledge sharing, coordination, and dissemination of evidence and resources that help bring greater understanding to the evolving Food Is Medicine landscape.

Food Is Medicine and Diet-Related Chronic Disease

Many Food Is Medicine interventions are designed to support individuals living with or at risk for diet-related chronic diseases. These may include conditions such as:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Certain cancers
• Other nutrition-sensitive health conditions

As evidence continues to emerge, researchers and practitioners are exploring how Food Is Medicine interventions may contribute to improved health outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and reduced healthcare utilization when implemented as part of comprehensive prevention, treatment, and care strategies. 

Federal Collaboration

Food Is Medicine spans multiple sectors and federal agencies. Nutrition, healthcare, public health, nutrition security, aging, agriculture, and biomedical research all play important roles in advancing our understanding of how food and nutrition influence health. To support collaboration across these areas, ODPHP leads the federal Food Is Medicine Working Group, which convenes monthly to bring together colleagues from across the federal government to share knowledge, coordinate efforts, and identify opportunities to advance Food Is Medicine. As the first and only interdepartmental collaborative focused on Food Is Medicine, the working group includes federal departments that support Food Is Medicine interventions and the programs, services, and infrastructure that make them possible. Together, members are building a shared federal understanding of Food Is Medicine, identifying emerging best practices and opportunities, and promoting coordinated actions that can strengthen policies, programs, and implementation across the country.

Supporting a Learning Ecosystem

Food Is Medicine is a rapidly evolving field. Researchers, healthcare organizations, community-based organizations, payers, policymakers, and others continue to test, evaluate, and implement a wide range of approaches to improve nutrition-related health outcomes.

Through this initiative, ODPHP seeks to support a learning ecosystem by:

• Making information and resources more accessible.
• Highlighting emerging research and implementation experiences.
• Sharing measurement and evaluation approaches.
• Promoting cross-sector learning and collaboration.
• Helping the broader health community understand opportunities and challenges associated with Food Is Medicine interventions.

By fostering awareness, collaboration, and evidence-informed decision-making, ODPHP aims to help the public health community — from practitioners and researchers to health systems — better understand the potential role of Food Is Medicine approaches in supporting health and well-being.