Food as Medicine
A UArizona researcher forges partnerships to tackle diabetes in Arizona communities
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there are almost 600,000 adults living with diabetes in Arizona, and it’s estimated that another 2 million have prediabetes. Meanwhile, Arizona ranks third highest among the 10 western states for food insecurity. Through her community-engaged research and partnerships, Melanie Hingle, a nutrition scientist, public health researcher and registered dietitian nutritionist in the University of Arizona College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, is working to address these challenges.
“My lab is out there in the world,” Hingle says. Hingle works with community organizations that share the goal of diabetes prevention and management. Some partners, like El Rio Community Health Center, have an explicit focus on helping people manage their conditions and prevent disease. For others, like the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, the goal of diabetes management is more indirectly connected to their mission.
“A lot of their clients suffer from diet-sensitive illness, and they wanted to do something,” Hingle says.