The Connection between Nutrition and National Health

It’s great to focus on improving your own nutrition for the many health benefits it provides, but what about the health of your neighborhood? What about the health of your city, state, or even the country as a whole? It’s easy to focus on your own dietary choices without thinking too much about your neighbors and fellow citizens, but there are some good reasons to expand your horizons. 

There is a connection between your nutritional options and the state of the nation. From the products you see at the grocery store to what you can afford to buy for your family, there are many ways that national issues can impact your nutrition and your overall health. If one of your goals is to improve your diet in any way, it’s worth thinking about national issues a bit more often. Let’s explore why. 

How Does National Health Impact Your Nutrition? 

The federal government sponsors research into the health of American citizens. That research delivers valuable data that is then used to create policies and guidelines to improve the health of the nation. When the data is used to create national laws and policies, it can impact the foods that are available for your consumption and even the prices you see at the grocery store. 

For instance, the government releases dietary guidelines for Americans, which are designed to influence what foods you choose to eat. These guidelines can provide general advice on healthy eating, but they aren’t suitable replacements for guidance from one of the best nutritionists and dietitians with expertise related to your current health condition. 

Someone with diabetes may receive different recommendations from a dietitian than someone diagnosed with heart disease or an autoimmune condition. The recommendations offered by the government can help some people who want to improve their diet in general, but they aren’t the same as individualized attention from an expert. 

National Health and Nutrition – Issues Worth Caring About  

To see how national health and nutrition can impact your life, let’s look at some of the issues that you may want to keep an eye on in the future. 

Access to Healthy Foods 

How easy is it to find healthy food in your local supermarkets? Do you have farmer’s markets and other alternatives to standard retail markets? Are fresh produce and healthy protein sources affordable in your community? 

Whatever your answer to those questions, you can at least partially thank your federal and local governments. Government policies can have a direct impact on the foods that are available in your community, the quality of those foods, and the prices you’re charged. 

The CDC does a few things to help improve access to healthy food for more people. That includes campaigns designed to influence consumer dietary choices and initiatives that help improve the supply of healthier foods to areas of the country that are often deprived. 

Safety of Foods in Your Grocery Store 

The selection of food products that you see in local stores has a lot to do with the FDA and partnering agencies. They work to study, approve, and inspect foods to ensure they’re safe for the American market. They control everything, from what foods are legally sold in the country to what labels are allowed on packages. 

A lot of the decisions made by the FDA are based on the health and well-being of the nation, but politics may also play a part at times. For instance, the foods that are most heavily researched are often those that manufacturers and food lobbyists believe they can make the most money from once products hit store shelves. Many healthy products that aren’t believed to be profitable are never thoroughly studied to uncover their potential health benefits. 

Advanced Food Technology and Your Health 

Have you noticed an increase in advanced food science technology lately? For instance, recent headlines have lit up with the news that the FDA has approved lab-grown meat. 

The concept of eating meat grown in a lab rather than raised on a farm and slaughtered may intrigue those who want to spare animals from slaughter. It may also make others start checking labels a bit more carefully because they don’t want to consume lab-grown meat for a variety of personal reasons. 

The FDA’s current approval is for one specific lab-grown chicken product, which isn’t ready to hit store shelves immediately. Further government inspections and clearances are upcoming in early 2023, but this is an issue that can impact the products available to you in local grocery stores in the future. 

Other advances in technology could lead to 3D food printers that allow you to print your own consumable products. What about the intersection of robotics and food? Advances are taking place in that area as well. 

All of these food innovations require approval for distribution and consumption in the United States. That makes them interesting topics for anyone interested in nutrition and national health. 

How to Take Control of Your Health and Improve National Standards 

It may not seem like you have any control over the health of the nation, but you have more power than you may realize. The data collected by the government is obtained through surveys and examinations of everyday people just like you. As you team up with a nutritionist to improve your nutrition and thus your health, you will have a positive impact on those around you. 

As you and your loved ones make positive nutrition changes, the impact will spread throughout your community. It happens gradually, one person at a time. Eventually, it can change the data collected by the government and thus the guidelines for all Americans. Nationwide change starts with individual change.