Food is Medicine Advocate Urges Evidence-Based Solutions Amid SNAP Cutbacks

Originally broadcast August 7, 2025

Experts who believe in the “food is medicine” concept say recent decisions made in Washington could have a devastating effect. Dr. Hilary Seligman, a nationally recognized expert on food insecurity and health outcomes at the University of California San Francisco, spoke to “Conversations on Health Care.” The interview highlighted that cutbacks to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are projected to reduce federal spending by $186 billion over the next decade. She believes this could result in more people getting sicker and then ending up in emergency departments with severe conditions.

Yet Dr. Seligman also sees some rays of optimism. “This administration has done a really deep dive into chronic disease. There is a desire to help make the population of the U.S. healthier again. And there is an interest in supporting better dietary intake. The challenge is to amplify those efforts in a way that is based in science, that is based in evidence and that will support everyone in the U.S. equally. That really is the opportunity that we have,” she told hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

 Click to hear this conversation, recorded during the Aspen Ideas: Health conference.  

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