Some good news for Butler Health System’s Food Institute a few weeks ago regarding goals the program has reached was followed late last week with another cause for celebration in the form of a $268,000 allocation.

The program — in which doctors at the health system refer patients to learn how to prepare healthier meals for their families, and the families are then provided with the fresh ingredients and cookware necessary to reach their goals — will receive the funding through the U.S. Senate’s 2022 appropriation bills, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey announced.

We believe this is a great investment.

This good news follows the health system being recognized earlier this month by Good Food, Healthy Hospitals — a Philadelphia-based initiative that aims to create a culture of wellness at hospitals by promoting healthier eating habits for patients, staff and visitors — for earning a bronze medal in just eight months by meeting certain goals.

Butler Health System is the first health system in Western Pennsylvania to join that initiative.

Casey said the money for the health system will go toward providing lifestyle coaching to patients in rural communities as part of the Food Institute program. One of the best elements about the Food Institute’s program is that it not only provides tips and instruction on how to eat healthier, but it also provides the resources necessary to reach health-related goals.

By providing cooking instructions — but also everything from ingredients to cutting boards, kitchen knives and other tools required to make the recipes — the Food Institute is likely increasing the chances that its participants follow through with the program.

A frequent reason why people contend they do not eat more healthily is that to do so is costly.

Studies show that such a program is necessary not only in the county, but also pretty much anywhere in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that one-third of Americans eat fast food on a daily basis, and nutritional experts have noted that poor nutrition is the No. 1 cause of illness in the nation and is responsible for a half-million deaths annually.

So, an investment in a program like the Food Institute in our community is a wise one.

We are glad to hear of the program’s numerous successes this month, and hope the additional funding will help it obtain the silver and gold medals from Good Food, Healthy Hospitals.

— NCD