HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — As obesity rates continue to rise across the United States, researchers at the University of Florida are pushing a powerful message: food is medicine.
A new study from UF highlights the critical link between what we eat and how we grow it.
WATCH full report by Keely McCormick
ABC Action News spoke to UF researcher Chris Gunter, who joined fellow scientists in a recent article promoting the idea that food itself can be a form of medicine. Their findings show that 73% of US adults and over a third of children are overweight or obese, yet only 1 in 10 adults eat enough fruits and vegetables.
The research calls for an increase in US fruit and vegetable production, along with efforts to make healthy foods more affordable and accessible to all Americans.
“The food that you eat should be coming largely from plants and unprocessed protein sources. When you start making those choices, all the rest of the food choices that you make can supplement that," Gunter said.
ABC Action News recently stepped into the kitchen with local chef Ashley Ondrick. She echoed that message.
“My dad had a heart attack and had heart disease, so his doctors put him on a host of meds and said, 'You’ll be on these for life.' He didn’t feel well on them, so he was determined to get off those meds just by changing his diet,” Ondrick said.
Within a year, he was able to get off his medication and maintain a healthy life through his diet. That inspired Ondrick to help others reach health goals through food.
Her advice to those looking to improve their diets is simple. She said to start with seasonal fruits and vegetables. She also encourages people to treat their vegetables like the main event when preparing dinner.
“Season your vegetables, actually give them the same love and flavor that you’d give a steak, then cook them well,” Ondrick said.
Ondrick said with a little thought and preparation, healthy food can be just as satisfying and healing.
“This is just an insult.”
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