The number of people in New Mexico who are food-insecure is higher than the national average. (Food insecurity is when people live in a household in which access to food adequate to support a healthy life is limited or uncertain.) Inconsistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food can have a negative impact on the health of individuals of all ages.
Obesity rates in New Mexico have more than doubled in the last 20 years, with 28% of adults considered obese. This places a huge strain on our health care system by bringing with it an increase in related health problems such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and even some forms of cancer. The annual cost to New Mexican individuals, families, and society due to diabetes is a staggering $1.8 billion a year. Heart disease is the leading cause of death across the United States. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients essential to preventing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, yet only 22% of adults in Santa Fe County eat 5+ fruits/vegetables every day.
So, how can our community address these immense economic and health-related issues plaguing so many New Mexicans?
Researchers at Tufts University made the case that subsidized fruits and vegetables could prevent millions of cases of chronic diseases. In fact, “prescriptions” for healthy foods could save more than $100 billion in healthcare costs. Click here to read about that study.
The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute implemented a program in 2017 called Fresh Rx, currently done in partnership with several doctors at La Familia Medical Center and Family Medicine Partners of Santa Fe. Through this program (partially funded by Presbyterian Center for Community Health), the participating doctors can “prescribe” to select patients four $25 vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables from the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.
It was a success in its pilot year of 2017 so we were able to slightly grow the program in 2018 and 2019. We now can work with a total of 35 patients. And, the program implementation has been refined to deepen the impact with those patients.
From the anonymous pre- and post-participation surveys submitted in 2018:
- 97% would like to participate again
- 67% reported that this was their first visit to the Market
- Doctors reported that this program has helped strengthen the doctor-patient relationship, open up more dialog around healthy nutrition, and contributed to their patients building new healthy habits.
From the article linked above, the study’s author Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, says that “these food as medicine approaches are gaining real traction. If pilot studies are implemented and work, there’s a very real chance you could in the near future go to the doctor, a doctor could write a prescription for food, and an insurance company will pay for part.”
So…invest in Fresh Rx and contribute to creating a healthier New Mexico!
Make a donation by click here.