Food Insecurity and the Chronically Ill

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season. For many, it can mean overindulgence in heavy plates loaded with turkey, rich stuffing and mashed potatoes. However, for food insecure households in our community, celebrating the holiday festivities is a bit more difficult.

Access to affordable healthy food is a challenge for many DC Metro Region residents. In the District of Columbia, more than 13% of the population faces food insecurity. Along with hunger, lack of access to healthy food contributes to poor health outcomes.

Food insecurity frequently leads to a diet which is void of basic vitamins and minerals but overwhelmingly high in saturated and hydrogenated fats, simple carbohydrates and sodium. Elevated rates of depression, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, increased risk of infection and malnutrition are all associated with food insecurity.

For those living with a chronic illness, proper nutrition can minimize the side effects of harsh medications and treatment, risk of infection and hospitalizations. Consistent access to good food plays a powerful role in preventing, treating and surviving serious health conditions.

People who are HIV positive are more likely to routinely face food insecurity. Food insecurity within the HIV positive community at the national level impacts an estimated 48-50% of the population. Food & Friends’ consistent provision of well-balanced and nutritionally complete meals is beneficial to clients by improving adherence to antiretroviral therapies and supporting CD4 cell levels, helping to keep HIV clients’ viral loads in better control.

Rates of food insecurity are also much higher for people living with cancer (approximately 56% of the population). Delivering food to these individuals and their families helps them maintain their weight throughout treatment which reduces rates of malnutrition, decreasing overall mortality and disruption to treatment due to infection or hospitalizations.

Chronic illness has profound impacts on the demand for food nutrition services, especially the need for medically-appropriate nutrition. Food & Friends’ clients have unique nutritional needs and challenges that need to be met. With the support of our partners, volunteers, and donors, Food & Friends will continue to connect the community with our most vulnerable neighbors to ensure that they receive the nutrition needed to battle their illness.

New Client Menu to Showcase Plant-Based Meals, Enhanced Breakfast Options and Whole Grains

Good nutrition is critical in helping clients feel better, manage their illness and cope with the side effects from harsh treatments and medications. We stress variety and flavor in every meal because appetites tend to be suppressed by illness, and even the best food is only good when eaten.

One way we add variety is by changing up our menu. Our Freshly-Prepared Meals Program follows a 6-week menu cycle—each cycle extends over a six-month period and menu items are only repeated four to five times.

We recently launched our new menu which is dishing up more plant-based meals, enhanced breakfast options and whole grains.

Plant-Based Meals

We are constantly working to offer more fresh fruits and vegetables to clients. Focusing on inclusion of deeply colored fruits, vegetables and whole grains ensures a nutrient-dense diet protective against heart disease, cancer and diabetes. On this new menu, we offer fresh spinach salads, baked vegetables with soy pasta, butternut squash ravioli and chickpea pesto with tomatoes and mushrooms—just to name a few. For our clients, these plant-based meals allow for better support of their immune systems, and give the ability to fight off infections by providing adequate amounts of necessary vitamins and minerals.

Enhanced Breakfast Options

We are starting the day out right by providing breakfast items that are denser in vitamins and minerals and more nutritionally balanced. Our clients will start seeing more protein items like dairy, eggs and peanut butter. A robust breakfast helps with focus throughout the day, improving overall energy levels, as well as maintaining a healthy weight.

Whole and Ancient Grains

Whole and ancient grains are taking the spotlight during lunch in this menu cycle. Whole grains are protective against cardiovascular disease, diabetes and promote overall gut health. The ancient grains we offer on the menu, such as wheatberries or quinoa, provide additional value by adding protein to the meal. Because whole grains are high in fiber, these enable our clients to keep their cholesterol levels in check. For example, many HIV/AIDS medications can cause dyslipidemia or imbalanced blood fats. Routine fiber consumption prevents digestion of all fats thereby improving cholesterol and overall lipid levels.

Community Partnership to Launch New Diabetes Pilot

Project to Measure Effects of Our Nutrition Services on Diabetics

Chronic illnesses take a terrible toll on individuals and families, on the healthcare system, and on our economy. We have been on the front lines in the fight against one such illness, HIV/AIDS, for more than a quarter century. Now, another chronic illness is having a similarly devastating impact on the Washington, DC, area. Diabetes was recently noted as the 6th leading cause of death in the District. According to the DC Department of Health, 8.3% of the District’s population report having been diagnosed with diabetes.

For those with diabetes, proper nutrition is a key weapon in battling the challenges associated with their illness. Consistent access to healthy food can play a powerful role in preventing and treating diabetes and its secondary problems such as heart failure, amputation, or kidney failure.

With this in mind, Food & Friends, in partnership with GW Medical Faculty Associates and the Rodham Institute, will be executing a pilot program called Alliance for Nutrition in Health and Disease to measure the effects of our services on the health outcomes of individuals with poorly-managed diabetes.

Through the Alliance for Nutrition in Health and Disease pilot program, 100 adult patients with poorly-controlled type 2 diabetes will be enrolled in our Freshly-Prepared Meals Program. They will receive nutritious and home-delivered meals specifically tailored for diabetics—breakfast, lunch and dinner—six days per week, for 15 months, along with nutrition counseling from our registered dietitians.

This pilot will rely on the chronic illness and evaluation expertise of clinicians and researchers at the George Washington University Heart & Vascular Institute (GWU HVI) and Rodham Institute. GWU HVI will refer diabetic patients who have complications indicating poorly-managed diabetes. GWU HVI will also collect patient health data both before and after the project to measure the impact of healthy eating and nutrition education on these individuals.

The results of the pilot study will be used to determine whether Food & Friends should permanently extend services to those whose primary illness is diabetes. Positive results will also be used to advocate for the importance of our services in improving health outcomes for individuals with all life-challenging illnesses.

We are currently securing funding to support this pilot program. The estimated cost of the 15-month program is $380,000. As we look towards improving health outcomes of people living with critical illnesses in our community, we hope you will consider supporting our strategic partnership to improve the health of DC area residents living with life-threatening chronic diabetes. If you are interested in supporting this initiative, either as an individual or as a company, contact Daniell Griffin at dgriffin@foodandfriends.org or (202) 269-6870.