-Hello. I'm Dr. Anne Utech,
the Executive Director of VA Nutrition and Food Services.
Welcome to this edition of Vet Resources Check-in.
Nutrition and Food Services' mission in VA
is to care for America's veterans by developing
and providing comprehensive evidence-based
nutrition services.
I'd like to talk to you today about one of those topics
and our services around it -- food insecurity.
It's a topic that you may have heard a lot about lately,
and I'd like to share with you
how the VA is helping identify veterans
who may want to learn more about it
and the resources available.
Food insecurity is a social determinant of health
which are conditions in the places where people live,
learn, work and play that affect a wide range of health
and quality of life risks and outcomes.
So what is food insecurity?
Does it mean that I get anxious about my food,
I'm worried that I'll eat too much
or the wrong kinds of foods?
Does it mean that I don't know what I should be eating
or I'm not sure what are the best things to eat?
Does it mean that I'm not sure my food is safe?
Actually, no, food insecurity is lack of access
to adequate healthy food to support a healthy life
due to financial constraints.
It means sometimes your food dollar is stretched
beyond the breaking point, when you're faced with choices
of what to buy amongst your needs.
It doesn't necessarily mean you're going hungry,
one of the most severe kinds of food insecurity.
Food insecurity looks like you may be choosing to fill up
on gas or paying bills and cutting back on food,
like skipping meals or smaller portions
or choosing cheaper snacks to keep you going.
Research has shown that food insecurity
is associated with poorer health outcomes and mental health.
I am sure you know that food is a foundation of health,
and while the old saying, "You are what you eat,"
may be oversimplified, food certainly significantly
affects your health and well-being directly.
Getting enough food to eat to feel satisfied
isn't the whole picture either.
We've all eaten enough to be satisfied,
full or stuffed, but not good.
You know what I'm talking about.
Therefore, good nutrition, like enough fruits and veggies,
whole grains and healthy proteins
are important to balance.
Well, maybe we are what we eat.
Well, or at least we feel what we eat.
Now, veterans are very resilient and resourceful.
Your experience and training
has prepared you for tough situations
and making due when you needed to pull through
for your fellow service members and family,
so it's natural to think, "I'm okay. I'm getting by."
I have also heard from veterans that they think that
by utilizing resources or accepting a referral,
they are in some way taking away from a fellow veteran
who may need it more, but that's just not true,
and we're all stronger together.
Food insecurity has effects on your health
and mental well-being,
which is important to everyone, including your family,
your friends, coworkers and your health care team,
so I encourage you to think about your food today.
Prices right now are high at the pump,
at the department store, online
and certainly including the grocery store.
Is your food dollar stretched too far
so that you are skipping meals, eating smaller portions,
skipping the entree or your partner
or your kids can have enough?
If you have diabetes, is your blood sugar going low more often
or at certain times of the month when the money is tight?
If you're a patient at the VA,
we're going to ask you two questions at least annually
in your appointments about food insecurity.
Most often, this will be asked by your nurse.
Think about these two screening questions carefully.
I'm going to read to you two statements
that people have made about their food situation.
For each statement, please tell me
whether the statement was often true,
sometimes true or never true for your household
in the last 12 months.
The first question is, within the past 12 months,
you worried whether your food would run out
before you got money to buy more,
or the second question is, in the last 12 months,
the food you bought just didn't last
and you didn't have money to get more.
Again, are those statements often true,
sometimes true or never true for you?
See, we just did the screen.
After these screening questions, you'll be asked
if you want a referral to a social worker or a dietitian
or if you are already receiving services.
It's your choice though, and by accepting a referral,
there is no pressure,
and you're not taking anything away from another veteran
who is also being referred.
It's just a, continue the conversation with a clinician
who can tell you more.
For example, a dietitian can help you choose
healthy foods on a budget.
A social worker may help connect you with local organizations,
services or food banks,
some of which especially work with veterans.
A social worker can also walk you through
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,
or SNAP program, eligibility requirements for assistance.
We'd love your feedback too on what kind of information
is most helpful to you,
so I invite you to tell your social worker or dietitian
your thoughts about the kind of information you want,
where resources could best be located for you
and who you prefer to talk to about food insecurity.
During the screening, you can of course decline a referral
if you wish, but remember that we're always here for you
if you want to rethink it,
and do remember you'll be asked about food insecurity
regularly as part of your health care appointments.
Even if you yourself never experience food insecurity,
we screen like this so that we can identify those who are.
You can always learn more online if you'd prefer not to visit
with a social worker or dietitian right now.
The VA has many nutrition resources
about eating well to feel well.
Check these out,
not just handouts but super easy cookbooks,
pandemic shopping list, a "Healthy Teaching Kitchen"
YouTube channel where you can learn to make simple,
healthy dishes, partnerships and much, much more.
The VA has education and counseling
available and nutrition
with registered dietitian nutritionists
that can be available in-person,
on the phone or via video telehealth.
The registered dietitian nutritionist
is not the food police.
They are here to be your nutrition expert
in your healthy goals and changes.
Contact your local VA medical center or clinic
for scheduling an appointment with a dietitian,
and check out those online resources
about healthy nutrition and food insecurity
at www.nutrition.va.gov.
I want to thank you for your service
and for the example that veterans set for all of us.
Thank you.