Food, nutrition, & Health

Many of the chronic diseases Iowans face are related to the foods we eat—what we eat and how it is produced (American Public Health Society, 2007). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), those who experience food insecurity are at a higher risk of developing diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension (Wise et al, 2022). These diseases can be costly and severely limit quality of life.

• Here in Iowa, nearly 300,000 Iowans (10% of our population), including more than 80,000 children, struggle with food/nutrition insecurity (Iowa Food Bank Association, n.d.). The impact falls heavily on communities of color as Iowa data reports 25% of Black and Hispanic families struggle to afford food, compared to 7% of white families (Iowa HHS, 2023).

• In Iowa the adult obesity rate is 37.4%, or roughly one in three adults, compared to the national average of 33.6% (CDC, 2023). This makes Iowa 11th in the nation for highest adult obesity rates. Obesity increases the risk of developing other chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and several types of cancers (Iowa HHS, 2022). Research continues to show that food insecurity and the inability to afford healthy, nutritious foods is a risk factor for obesity (Carvajal et al, 2022).

• More than 22,000 people in the state are diagnosed with diabetes every year, and there are an estimated 70,000 people in Iowa with diabetes who don’t yet know they have it (American Diabetes Association, 2021).

• The direct and indirect costs for Iowans related to chronic health disease runs $11,125 per person per year (Waters, Graf, 2018). The collective medical expenses to treat diabetes are estimated at $2 billion a year, with another $646 million from lost productivity due to the disease (American Diabetes Association, 2023).

• Sixty percent of what the typical adult eats, and nearly 70% of what kids eat consist of ultra processed foods like cookies, sodas, cereals, and frozen meals (Agostino, 2022). While more affordable, these foods are increasingly understood to play a significant role in increased obesity rates (NIH, 2019).

• Improving policies, educational opportunities, and incentives that address the interconnection between food access, health outcomes, and our food system are needed to make the “healthy choice the easy choice” for all Iowans.

The Food, Nutrition, and Health priority team is dedicated to fostering expanded partnerships and creating capacity to support the outlined strategies. This team is currently led by the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Partnership, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and welcomes others who are also playing a critical role in and interested in contributing to this space.

• Jill Lange, Iowa Health & Human Services

• Haley Huyhn, Iowa Health and Human Services Nutrition & Physical Activity Bureau

To achieve our goals of enhancing and sustaining the health and wellbeing of all Iowans, we have determined the following four strategies and actions are urgently needed.

Strategy 1: Expand partnerships to support a systems-based approach to address food and nutrition insecurity, while supporting existing programs and initiating innovations.

Strategy 2: Develop and advocate for incentives to provide nutritious and culturally relevant foods to Iowans.

Strategy 3: Identify available food, nutrition and health data and use it purposefully to guide decision-making – share these outcomes with partners and other collaborators.

Strategy 4: Develop education that promotes food system literacy and strengthens cultural understanding between food systems and health providers.

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Camp Creek Organic Produce

Feed Iowa First

Grace Fitness

Harkin Institute for Public Policy, Nutrition and Wellness Program

Iowa Department of Health & Human Services

• Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) Partnership

• Healthy Iowans

Iowa Food Bank Association

Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative

Iowa Hunger Coalition

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach - Healthy Food Access

Iowa State University Farm, Food, and Enterprise Development

Farm to School & Early Care Coalition

Lutheran Services of Iowa, Global Greens Program

Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt - ISU Extension & Outreach, Department of Food

University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy & Environmental Education

• Environmental Health Program

• UNI Local Food Program

• There are four common issues that impact food and nutrition security. They all start with “A”. A 5th issue - the “Addictive” nature of ultra processed food - is being recognized as one of the newest. 

• Farm to Food Assistance is a new term encouraging the use of food system development as a long term solution to food and nutrition security.

• Iowa is home to a number of state, regional, and county-based food policy councils and food and farm networks.

• Read the Existing Conditions section in this chapter to learn about these and other important details about this priority.

Participants in the Iowa Food System Coalition work together, rely upon each other, and hold one another accountable in the work to advance the priorities of the Iowa Food System Plan. Interested in working together to advance a thriving, equitable food system in Iowa? Fill out our Interest Form here.