b'Saba KhanThinking of healthy food as medicineIn 2019, Dr. SabaSome research has shown a connection be-Khan launched atween those who weigh too much and food food pharmacy atinsecurity. Food insecurity means not having Childrens Hospitalreliable access to enough healthy foods. Often, of Philadelphia asDr. Khan says, people who are food-insecure live a way to introducein places where it is hard to exercise or to get children and theirnutritious things to eat. These people can end up families to the healthgoing hungry or eating unhealthy foods that may benefits of eatinglead to medical problems related to being an nutritious foods. unhealthy weight. Instead of stockingThe idea of starting a food pharmacy came pills as medicalfrom her conversations with Dr. Mariana Chilton, pharmacies do, CHOPs Healthy Weight Fooddirector of the Center for Hunger-Free Commu-Pharmacy fills its shelves with fresh fruits andnities at the Dornsife School of Public Health at vegetables, brown rice, yogurt, eggs, and otherDrexel University. (Dr. Chilton is a 2013 Healthy healthy items. Families who visit are given threeNewsWorks leader.) Dr. Khan wanted to do days worth of nutritious foods at no cost. Stafferssomething about the fact that parents of her also talk to the families about other ways to staypatients were sometimes reluctant to tell her that healthy and point them to more resources thatthey faced food insecurity. She also wanted to can help.make healthy foods easily available to them. A food pharmacy is the concept of using healthyThe Food Pharmacy took years of planningfood as medicine, says Dr. Khan, who is the before it opened in January 2019. director of the Food Pharmacy. She is a pediatri- Now, when a young patient visits the Healthy cian in CHOPs Healthy Weight Program, and Weight Program, a nurse will ask the parents if the Food Pharmacy is part of that program.there is enough food in the house to eat. If the Dr. Khans specialty is in helping children underanswer is no, they are invited to visit the Food 5 years old who weigh more than is healthy. ThePharmacy after their appointment with the doctor. Healthy Weight Program works with children of all ages. 18'