Presenter: Kate Patterson, ND

Original Date: February 17, 2019

Physicians often present diet recommendations in terms of total calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients. They may consider avoiding certain foods or cooking methods to optimize health. Ideally, clinicians will also consider how culture impacts food choices and how meals are often a focal point of family and community life. In addition to the impact of diet on individual patients, dietary choices have significant impacts on the environment from processing and shipping, to deforestation and contamination of watersheds. Prioritizing these choices and consequences in a clinical setting can be challenging in the best cases but many patients have little choice or access when it comes to diet due to finances, age, or incarceration. In this presentation, I will examine movements designed to address food access in these communities and discuss outcomes of addressing sustainability and environmental impacts simultaneously. Together, we’ll explore the research and resources supporting the farm-to-institution movement in public health.

1.5 General CEUs approved by OBNM