A Prescription for Vegetables?
Author: Lee Ann Rush
A small article in a local newspaper several months ago prompted me to do some research on a topic I find truly compelling. There is now a national program underway through which physicians can write actual prescriptions for fruits and vegetables for young low income patients at high risk for a variety of diseases related to poor diets. Known as Fruit and Vegetable Rx (FVRx), the program was created and is run by Wholesome Wave, a Connecticut-based non-profit organization established to foster strong ties between local agriculture and communities that have traditionally been underserved by grocery stores and other sources of healthy foods. FVRx, which began as a feasibility study in 2010 and has been expanded each year since, is designed to assist overweight and obese children who risk developing diet-related conditions such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease, while also providing an economic benefit to local farmers.
The brainchild of Michel Nischan, a chef who became interested in the major role diet plays in health after his sons were both diagnosed with type- 2 diabetes, FVRx enlists the participation of doctors who practice in low income areas where poor dietary practices abound. These health care providers work with partner farmers markets to enroll overweight children in the program. Patients meet monthly with their health care providers, who monitor their weight, blood pressure and insulin levels, and nutritionists who offer counseling on nutrition and suggestions for preparing healthy meals. They then receive their prescriptions, which can be traded for “Health Bucks” ($1.00 per day for each family member) redeemable for fresh locally-grown produce at participating area farmers markets. In New York City, the FVRx program was launched at both Harlem Hospital and Lincoln Medical Center during the summer of 2013. Patients of these institutions may fill their “prescriptions” at any of 140 farmers markets throughout the city.
According to Nischan, FVRx aims to improve health through diet by giving low-income patients access to healthful produce at little or no charge to them, along with cooking tips and advice on economical ways to eat a healthy diet. The results have been encouraging thus far; over 55% of participants reported increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables, and nearly 40% lost weight and decreased their body mass index over the first two years of the program. Some children have lost more than 20 pounds through FVRx participation, and many report developing an appreciation for foods than had never even tasted before, such as pears, cantaloupes and radishes. The FVRx program is currently operating in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, California, Rhode Island, Maine and the District of Columbia, and has plans to expand further in the coming years. Its goals of improving community health while benefitting small local farmers are definitely worthy of everyone’s attention.
