Food and Nutrition

How do food and nutrition impact health?

Good nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Eating healthy foods helps reduce the risk of some of our nation’s most common chronic health concerns, including obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, to name a few. Research continues to uncover new ways that food and chronic diseases are linked. Some communities across the country face significant barriers in their ability to access foods that are healthy and plentiful.  Often these challenges are tied to broader social and economic concerns.

Why does CEAL’s focus include food and nutrition?

Research teams across CEAL are studying the best, most impactful ways to lower disease risk by promoting healthy eating. Some interventions aim to expand awareness, providing nutrition education and counseling to groups most in need. Other projects tackle food insecurity and other community factors that contribute to higher rates of diet-related chronic diseases. All of these efforts aim to find strategies that will better meet people’s nutrition needs, improving health at both the individual and community levels.