Health-conscious students and professionals understand that the world is changing, and with those changes comes an opportunity to focus on creating a healthier community.
One Health Day is an international event that is held every fall. It highlights and celebrates the complex interrelationships between human, animal and environmental health and provides a space for growth and collaboration.
“Access to nutritious food is something that impacts both humans and animals, so developing a deeper understanding of how it can heal us and how we can increase its availability is essential," said Dennis Ridenour, president and CEO of BioNexus KC.
This event provides an opportunity for students, teachers and anyone who wants to make a difference in their community to come together to learn more about public health. This year’s topic is “Food as Medicine.”
According to The Rockafeller Foundation, “Food is Medicine programs, including produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals, use food-based interventions to help prevent, manage and treat diet-related diseases. Integrating nutrition into our healthcare system would enable doctors to prescribe healthy food, reducing the need for invasive health services while lowering health care costs.”
Whether you’re familiar with the topic or curious about what it means and how you can make a difference, here are three reasons you should attend this year’s Kansas City One Health Day: Food as Medicine.
1. Make a difference in your community
When you learn about Food as Medicine, you’ll gain the knowledge you need to make a difference in your community. During this event, local students will share posters they have created about this year's topic. This is one of the best ways you can discover new ideas and learn how you can make a personal impact in your own local area, whether that means volunteering, raising awareness or even pursuing a degree in a field such as public health or urban farming.
2. Develop a deeper understanding of Food as Medicine
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Food is Medicine approaches that focus on integrating consistent access to diet and nutrition-related resources are a critical component to achieve this goal.” When you attend One Health Day this year, you’ll have an opportunity to learn more about what this effort means and how it can affect you on a personal level. Healthy food can affect your physical health; however, it also can affect the lives of your pets. Presenters at this year’s event will cover both human and animal health, making it the perfect chance to learn how you can care not only for yourself, but for your animals.
3. Connect with health experts who are passionate
Perhaps one of the best reasons to attend this year’s food as medicine event is to learn from and talk with professionals who are experts in horticulture, urban farming, animal health, human health and environmental health. You’ll hear experts in these areas discuss these topics, as well as enjoy networking opportunities. If you have any pressing questions about how you can incorporate Food as Medicine into your life, this offers you the perfect opportunity to find the answers you’re looking for from experts who can help.
Visit our website to learn more about Kansas City One Health Day.
Join us
Join us for KC One Health Day on Friday, Nov. 1, at the KU Edwards Campus. This year's theme is Food as Medicine and will focus on the impact of how food impacts human health, animal health and the role our environment plays in providing nutritious, healthy foods.
