Datei:Sara Bleich, USDA National Summit on Nutrition Security and Healthcare (cropped).jpg

English: Sara Bleich, PhD, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), welcomes the participants for the summit at the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. on October 25, 2022. Building on the momentum of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, USDA host a ‘Come to the Table’ National Summit on Nutrition Security and Healthcare. The USDA Summit brings together key actors in the healthcare sector to showcase their efforts to advance nutrition security and learn about innovative approaches and best practices. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 42% of American adults – about 100 million people – suffered from obesity before the pandemic began. Nearly three-fourths of American adults are overweight or obese. Roughly one in five children also suffers from obesity. The costs associated with rising rates of obesity- along with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer – are among the greatest threats to the fiscal future of the United States. USDA and its partners at HHS are taking a whole-of-government approach to tackling this issue. When we reduce diet-related disease, we save money for all Americans through reduced healthcare expenditures at hospitals, healthcare plans, VA clinics, local health clinics, and Medicare/Medicaid while enabling Americans to lead healthier, more productive lives. (USDA photos by Christophe Paul)