Food and Health: Promoting the Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Diet to Minimize Disease in Individuals at Greatest Risk

Author

Nadjia Edwards

Date of Completion

5-31-2020

Document Type

Open Access Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

First Advisor

Robert Ricketts

Second Advisor

Jeremy Szteiter

Abstract

Diets high in calories, saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars can lead to adverse health events such as; heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and certain cancers. Maintaining a healthy diet can help decrease this potential, but those experiencing food insecurity remain at risk as they may have challenges accessing and affording healthier items. Quality may be sacrificed for quantity leading to the purchasing of food that increases these health risks. Initiatives have been developed to address these obstacles, but aren’t widely utilized. This underuse can be due to a lack of emphasis on the importance of selecting healthier options. This synthesis seeks to provide as much relevant information as possible to promote a better understanding of food insecurity, how food insecurity is affecting individuals in the Massachusetts area, and the effects it can have on being able to maintain a healthy diet. Interventions were also developed to help those experiencing food insecurity begin improving their health with the use of food.

Recommended Citation

Edwards, Nadjia, "Food and Health: Promoting the Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Diet to Minimize Disease in Individuals at Greatest Risk" (2020). Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection. 385.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cct_capstone/385