A Curious Contradiction in Healthcare
As a pharmacist, I’ve spent more than a decade working in a hospital. During that time, I’ve witnessed countless healthcare professionals dedicate themselves to improving the lives of others. Every day, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, dietitians, technicians, and other team members work tirelessly to help patients prevent disease, lower cholesterol, manage diabetes, recover from illness, and live healthier.
A few years ago, however, I began noticing something I had somehow overlooked for years. Once I became aware of it, I couldn’t unsee it.
The very institutions devoted to treating chronic disease often create food environments that contribute to it.
Walk through any hospital cafeterias, and you’ll likely find cheeseburgers, fried chicken, pizza, processed deli meats, fries, pastries, cookies, candy, sugary beverages, and energy drinks readily available. While healthier options may exist, they’re often overshadowed by foods we routinely advise our patients to limit.
This raises an uncomfortable question:
Would we prescribe these foods to improve our patients' health?
Of course not.
So why do we accept them as the default fuel for the very people delivering healthcare?
The contradiction extends beyond the cafeteria. Pharmaceutical companies invest significant resources educating healthcare professionals about medications used to treat heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic illnesses. Yet the meals accompanying these educational sessions are frequently catered from fast-food restaurants or local establishments serving foods high in saturated fat, sodium, refined grains, and ultra-processed ingredients. One specific example involves a drug rep educating about chemotherapy medications to treat various cancers while serving processed meats, known carcinogens.
While these meals feel generous during busy shifts when a free lunch is greatly appreciated, the irony is difficult to ignore. We spend time discussing how to manage chronic disease while eating foods that can cause or contribute to the very conditions we’re trying to treat.
This isn’t about blaming healthcare workers.
Anyone who has worked in a hospital understands the reality. Twelve-hour shifts. Missed breaks. Constant interruptions. Emotional exhaustion. When you finally have ten or fifteen minutes to eat, convenience often wins.
For the most part, people eat what’s readily available. If the easiest choices are pizza, burgers, fried foods, pastries, soda, and candy, those foods naturally become the default, not because people necessarily want them, but because the environment makes those choices effortless.
The truth is, our surroundings shape our habits far more than we realize.
And this isn’t just a hospital problem.
Whether we work in an office, attend school, volunteer at community events, or spend our days at home, we’re all influenced by the food environments around us. Convenience often dictates our decisions more than intention does.
The encouraging news is that environments can also inspire healthier choices.
Packing a nourishing lunch, keeping fresh fruit or nuts nearby, choosing a whole food, plant-based option when it’s available, or suggesting healthier foods for meetings may seem like small actions, but they send a powerful message. People notice healthy habits. A colorful salad, hearty bean chili, or homemade grain bowl often spark curiosity and conversation. You may never know who is encouraged to make a healthier choice simply because they saw yours.
For parents and grandparents, the influence reaches even further. Children are always
watching. Whether they’re helping pack lunches, attending school events, visiting someone in the hospital, or sharing family meals at home, they quietly learn what “normal” eating looks like from the adults around them. The examples we set today can shape the habits they carry for a lifetime.
Hospitals exist to restore health. Homes nurture it. Communities sustain it.
Imagine if every place that cared for people also made it easier to choose foods that truly support health. While meaningful institutional change may take time, each of us has the ability to influence the environments around us.
Bring a healthy meal to work. Request a plant-based option for your next meeting. Thank organizations that offer nutritious choices. Share a favorite recipe with a friend. Encourage healthier celebrations. Support businesses and institutions that prioritize nourishing food.
These actions may seem small, but culture changes one choice at a time.
The contradiction within healthcare doesn’t have to remain the norm. Every meal is an opportunity to align our actions with the message we so often share with our patients, our families, and our communities—that food has the power to heal, protect, and promote lifelong health.
Perhaps it’s time our food environments reflected that truth.
