Produce prescription programs, bodily norms, and federal nutrition policy

The Need to Consider Food Systems in Health-Oriented Food Policy and Programs

“…This decontextualization is important to consider not only in overall program organization, but also in relation to the health of West Virginians. Although PPPs ostensibly put fresh produce into the hands of some who need it, they can reify stereotypes and harmful assumptions from policy makers, community organizers, and health practitioners [ 15 ]. These include a narrow focus on behavior, instead of reckoning with systemic issues like poverty and unemployment, environmental pollution, and the racialization of bodies, which have clear effects on both individual and population health.…”

“…However, these programs are few and far between, as most PPPs focus on chronic disease [ 15 ]. As such, the outcomes that programs focus on revolve around participant engagement and biomedical screening.…”