Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, FACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON September 27, 2022 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) commends the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health that was released by the White House earlier today. We are glad to see that the administration understands the importance of improving food access and affordability, and the need to prioritize the role of nutrition and food security.
Earlier this summer ACP called attention to the public health threat posed by food insecurity in Strengthening Food and Nutrition Security to Promote U.S. Public Health. Food insecurity is associated with a wide range of health issues. These health impacts can be observed in the heightened health care utilization rates and costs experienced by food insecure individuals. Persistent food insecurity and hunger can also negatively impact employment, income, and other social factors that influence health. Many of the recommendations we made to address food and nutrition insecurity are echoed in the new strategy. This includes expanded access to and increased funding of federal nutrition assistance programs, streamlining enrollment processes and making it easier to use these benefits, and integrating nutrition education and screening for food insecurity into Medicare and other federal health programs.
Ending food insecurity needs to be a priority for policymakers, the health care community, and other stakeholders. Ensuring all individuals have access to feed themselves a nutritious and healthy diet is an important component of a just society. We are encouraged to see that the administration’s efforts to address the public health imperative of food insecurity in the United States
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org