“We are not valuing healthy as an economic asset in this country. … We have sick days missed at work. We have unpaid caregivers hamstrung by illness. We have to start evaluating wellness as an economic asset,” said Katie Stebbins during a panel presentation in Chicago last week.
Moving beyond silver bullets: ‘We need to start … having different conversations’
Over the years, the food-as-medicine trend has gained momentum as a potential solution to several negative health metrics in the US, uniting various stakeholders from CPG, retail, agriculture, non-profits, healthcare providers, and insurance.
Tufts University is at the forefront of this emerging field, advocating for systemwide changes to improve health outcomes for US consumers. The university launched its Food is Medicine Institute in 2023 to “bridge the gap between nutrition and the medical system,” as reported by FoodNavigator-USA.
“We need to start sitting in different places and having different conversations because I worry sometimes we [say,] ‘We are just going to make a better molecule.’ Continuing to make a better molecule or making AI somehow work harder is not going to solve this. It is a piece of it. … We get infatuated that there is going to be a silver bullet. It is going to fix things, and that is just not how change happens,” Stebbins explained.
While food-as-medicine programs typically focus on food prescriptions and healthy eating incentives, Stebbins advocates for holistic food-system changes that address larger societal issues to improve health outcomes and support healthy eating.
These changes include designing homes and cities to enhance access to healthy foods through initiatives like community gardens and indoor hydroponic walls for growing produce.
“This is a much bigger societal systemic issue, and we have to think broadly about who needs to be having these conversations because a lot of people have a lot of levers, and I think we are missing a lot of those people,” Stebbins said.
‘Sharing the mic’ between large food companies, startups
In her role at Tufts, Stebbins supports the university’s Food Nutrition & Innovation Council, which includes a diverse group of CPG companies, ingredient providers, retailers, healthcare providers, investors, non-profits, and thought leaders focused on creating partnerships and driving food-system changes.
The council meetings aim to provide a forum for brainstorming a better food system. Some council members are also competitors, including PepsiCo and Olipop.
“[Startups] can come and sit shoulder-to-shoulder, elbow-to-elbow with a Cargill or a PepsiCo as equals. I love sharing the mic. … It is not like, ‘Oh, you paid more money, so you get the microphone.’ You do not,” she added.
GLP-1s: An “iPhone moment for food’
Large CPG companies are also grappling with the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy, which are seen as a potential solution for the obesity epidemic in the US.
Some CPG companies are already responding to the demand for GLP-1-related claims, releasing products that promote satiety or focus on nutrient density. Recently, Nestlé released its Vital Pursuit line of frozen meals, claiming to support weight management and serve as a GLP-1 companion.
The rise of GLP-1 drugs represents an “iPhone moment for food,” changing consumer perceptions and providing relief for those struggling with food addictions. However, CPG brands will still need to innovate healthier products in familiar formats.
“We are all going to have to keep learning together on how to navigate this world. You are not going to put the genie back in the bottle. … You are not going to eliminate candy and fast food. You have to figure out how [food] is going to evolve into something that works,” she concluded.
No responses yet