Tampa Bay leaders calling poor diets a public health crisis

TAMPA, Fla. - Poor diets are now the leading cause of death, according to a new strategy report from Feeding Tampa Bay that reframes hunger as a full-scale public health crisis.

The nonprofit is using that data to launch a new Health and Hunger strategy, arguing that food insecurity can no longer be treated as a standalone issue separate from healthcare systems.

What we know:

The strategy outlines several urgent indicators linking hunger and health:

• 1 million people in West Central Florida experience food insecurity.
• 9 in 10 U.S. adults have suboptimal cardio-metabolic health.
• 47% of households live below the poverty line or fall into the ALICE category: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
• Food insecurity is associated with $4.2 billion in annual healthcare costs in Florida.

The report states plainly: "Food insecurity is a public health crisis."

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Why you should care:

Health experts increasingly point to nutrition as a major driver of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.

Feeding Tampa Bay says limited access to nutritious food contributes to higher rates of illness, rising medical spending and long-term economic instability.

Leaders argue that addressing hunger could help lower healthcare costs and improve quality of life across the region. The organization is adopting what it calls a Food Is Medicine (FIM) approach.

That model includes:

• Medically tailored meals designed by dietitians for people with diet-related conditions.
• Medically tailored groceries curated to improve health outcomes.
• Onsite medical services through partnerships like the Suncoast Neighborhood Health Clinic.

The strategy also aligns with broader public health frameworks that focus on social determinants of health, including economic stability, access to care, and neighborhood conditions.

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Big picture view:

Feeding Tampa Bay says hunger and health go hand in hand, and that solving one requires addressing the other.

The nonprofit's Health + Hunger initiative aims to connect food access, clinical care and social services under a unified strategy designed to create long-term stability and upward mobility for families.