hxrefactored 2014: let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food
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Our health is the greatest gift we have and making informed decisions about the food we eat has been proven to prevent illnesses. Many people in the US are both overfed and undernourished resulting in myriad health issues. It has been estimated that one-third of the children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes. This is completely preventable. Scores of academic and medical studies have concluded that the single most important factor in human health is nutrition, and our food (and how it’s produced) is something we can change. Mad*Pow's Experience Design Director, Megan Grocki, explores the landscape of the US food system and inspire participants to connect the dots between what we eat and our collective health.TRANSCRIPT
Let Food Be thy Medicine & Medicine Be thy Food Megan Grocki, Experience Strategy Director #HxR2014 @megangrocki
What has happened to our food?
How is our food affecting our health?
What can we do about it?
has happened to our food?
WTF
Photo: Mark Kegans for The New York Times
Photo:www.perdueagribusiness.com
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
“Organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.”
-World Health Organization
Is genetically modified
(Bt) Corn Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt) Corn classified as a
pesticide by the EPA
Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) azodicarbonamide
MSG
Aspartame
Sodium benzoate High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Sodium nitrite
80% of antibiotics sold in the US are used on farm animals
FDA
Pesticides Insecticides Fungicides Herbicides (Glyphosate) - 527 million pound increase since 1996
C. Benbrook, 2012
What does our food have to do with our health?
We Are Sicker & Die Younger
Than Others In Wealthy Nations Source: NaHonal Research Council and InsHtute of Medicine. U.S. Health in InternaHonal PerspecHve:
Shorter Lives, Poorer Health. Washington, DC: The NaHonal Academies Press, 2013.
American Diabetes AssociaHon.
American children born each year since 2000, will develop Type 2 diabetes
1 in 3
Source: Stanford school of medicine
has food allergies
1 in 13
2,615 4,135
9,537
1998-2000 2001-2003 2004-2006
Food allergy related hospitalizations for children under 18
Center for Disease Control. Na2onal Health Interview Survey
Pediatrics, May 21, 2010
of girls are expected to begin puberty by the age of 7
15%
Centers for Disease Control
CANCER is the leading cause of death by disease
in children under 15
President's Cancer Panel Report
of Americans are expected to get cancer
41%
Environmental Health Perspec@ves -‐ V.106, N.6 -‐ Jun98
We spend more on health care and
disease management than any other country on the
planet.
Source: NaHonal Research Council and InsHtute of Medicine. U.S. Health in InternaHonal PerspecHve: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health. Washington, DC: The NaHonal Academies Press, 2013.
Many diseases are diet-related & PREVENTABLE
We are overfed, and undernourished
Food insecurity
We are overfed, and undernourished
Food insecurity
Source: American Journal of Medicine (hWp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24440543)
Nearly 1 in 3 adults with a chronic disease has problems paying for food, medicine, or both.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
What if we could PREVENT unnecessary illness in the first place?
What can we do about this?
We as individuals can … Cut Artificial Colors Count chemicals, not calories Eat Less Fake Food Seek out yummy ways to consume superfoods Learn more about GMOs and support labeling Support producers who don’t use antibiotics, or pesticides
We as healthcare professionals can … Consider nutrition in our content Build awareness around the food/health connection Integrate nutrition information into our interfaces Getting the facts and doing research is key – study food consumption patterns alongside other work
Cool things happening with food, media, and
technology
Produce at convenient stores
Fooducate
Fooducate
Social media pressure
So much sickness could be prevented by improving nutrition literacy
It’s not hopeless – we can all do something
Food is “health” care, Medicine is “sick” care
Let’s fix food to improve health
