CEO's Corner: News from Nancy E. Roman, PHA’s President and CEO
Articles, videos and more from Nancy E. Roman, PHA’s President and CEO.
Nancy Roman at Davos on the Delta, 2019.
The Fast Pandemic Meets the Slow Pandemic
July 14, 2020
COVID-19 has met America’s chronic disease burden and the result is clearly tragic: more than 130,000 dead – the vast majority of whom suffered from diet-related disease. Patients with diabetes or heart disease were hospitalized six times as often and died 12 times as often as those without, according to a recent Washington Post report. Tragically, we now know the nation’s death toll falls starkly along racial and economic lines – disproportionately impacting minority communities, as this New York Times report demonstrates. Read more
Rapid Response: How PHA is Advancing Our Important Work During Coronavirus
March 17, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic continues to impact every aspect of life in the U.S. and across the globe. Like many nonprofit organizations, the Partnership for a Healthier America has been forced to make many major decisions very quickly. Read more.
Food Banks are Raising the Standard for Creating Standards
March 2, 2020
Most people do not get excited when they hear the words “standards” or “guidelines” – more than likely just the opposite. However, newly released standards intended to help Americans make better decisions about the food they feed themselves and their families has the Partnership for a Healthier America enthusiastic, and should have food and nutrition advocates feeling the same way. Read more
The Unspoken Trillion-Dollar Crisis in the Democratic Debates
February 27, 2020
During the Democratic Debates, candidates responded to many questions about topics of interest to voters. While Medicare for All and Obamacare got lots of airtime in the Democratic Debates, our nation’s true healthcare crisis received scant attention. Government is in a strong position to leverage food as a tool for health in ways it has not. Read more
Reflections on PHA’s 2019 Work and Impact
December 23, 2019
As 2019 comes to a close, PHA President and CEO, Nancy E. Roman, offers perspective on the work achieved by PHA and its partners throughout the year, along with a look ahead at the work to come in 2020. Read more
Five Challenges to Better Link Cooking, Innovation, and Health
November 25, 2019
As Thanksgiving approaches, cooking truly takes center stage for many American families. Technology and innovation are taking the cooking space by storm as they change how we spend time in the kitchen, not just during Thanksgiving, but every day. As innovation evolves, I’m struck that the links between new food and cooking technology and nutrition and health are less common and need more explicit focus. Read more
Why isn’t fixing our broken food culture higher on the 2020 agenda?
November 21, 2019
Food is both a primary driver of poor health and a gateway to better health. It prevents heart disease, stroke, and type two diabetes, and yet is also this nation’s primary cause of the same conditions. Diabetes and heart disease cost the United States $1.72 trillion in Medicare, Medicaid, and lost productivity – more than twice what we spend on national defense. Fixing the broken food culture is an issue that should appeal to liberals, conservatives, the old, the young, men, and women alike. Read more
Q&A: Meeting Young Adults Where They Are - Rachel Paul, PhD, RD - the “College Nutritionist”
June 5, 2019
Dr. Rachel Paul, PhD, RD is a nationally recognized nutritionist who helps college students and young professionals look and feel amazing by eating healthfully, cooking on their own, and making good food choices in social situations. In this guest Q&A she shares how social media and influencers can be just as impactful as public health campaigns and what health trends she’s seeing among young adults. Read more
Ultra-Processed: The New Tobacco?
May 21, 2019
Partnership for a Healthier America President & CEO Nancy E. Roman shares insights from the Combating Childhood Obesity Summit hosted by U.S. News & World Reports. Read more
Finally, USDA includes infants and kids in dietary guidelines
April 4, 2019
For the first time, in 2020 the Department of Health and Human Services and the Agriculture Department will provide strong, evidence-based recommendations for pregnant women, infants, and young children. Partnership for a Healthier America President & CEO Nancy Roman shares why this is significant and how new partner Sprout Foods and its CEO Rick Klauser are paving the way in infant and toddler nutrition. Read more
A Quick Summary on the Best Thing Written on the Food System in 20 Years
January 17, 2019
Much of the world’s population is inadequately nourished. Environmental systems and processes are pushed beyond safe boundaries by food production. And, according to a recent Lancet article, “Unhealthy diets pose a greater risk to morbidity and mortality than does unsafe sex, and alcohol, drug, and tobacco use combined.” PHA CEO & President Nancy E. Roman, reflects on the importance of this must-read article and the transformation surely to come. Read more
Accelerating a Healthier Future: A Message from Nancy E. Roman, PHA’s President and CEO
January 2, 2019
With nearly a decade of data and proven practices, PHA is uniquely positioned to leverage lessons across sectors and bring solutions that are good for health and good for business. Nancy E. Roman, CEO & President of Partnership for a Healthier America shares more about this year’s Summit and the organization’s collective efforts to accelerate a healthier future. Read more
7 Big Questions for Corporate America about Food and Health in 2019
January 1, 2019
Nancy E. Roman, CEO & President of Partnership for a Healthier America, kicks off the new year with seven big questions about the future of food and health in 2019. Read more
Canada Beats US to the Punch
December 10, 2018
Our neighbors to the north are taking a unique approach to ensure its citizens have access to healthier foods. Nancy E. Roman, CEO & President of Partnership for a Healthier America shares why we should take page out of their food access playbook. Read more
New Data Helps Us Move Further, Faster Toward a Healthier Future
November 16, 2018
Nancy E. Roman, CEO & President of Partnership for a Healthier America shares her insights on the 2018 U.S. Access to Nutrition Index and how it can help us move further, faster toward a healthier future. Read more
What we Grow + What we process, distribute, sell + What we Eat = Global Health
November 9, 2018
Crops have long been thought of in terms of commodities, which has underemphasized the powerful role that food (not crops) play in preventing disease and building health. We’re beginning to see a shift in that paradigm. That is beginning to change. Policies and practices and a supply chain have the opportunity to a culture with better and more available high-nutrient, low-cost food. Read more
Better For You Foods: Cutting Through The Clutter
November 7, 2018
In the ever-changing marketplace, it can be confusing for consumers to truly understand which products are truly better for you. This past week, Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) was recognized in a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-commissioned report as having developed one of the most high-quality nutrition standards for packaged foods and beverages. PHA’s was among the top three found to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Amaris Bradley, registered dietitian and Senior Director of Partnerships shares the importance of the rankings and how they help consumers make more informed choices about the foods they eat. Read more
Partnership for a Healthier America’s Nancy Roman; Bates White Economic Consulting’s Cory Capps; Center for American Progress’ Emily Gee; and, The Hill’s Peter Sullivan at The Hill’s Mergers and Innovation: Measuring Performance and Patient Care event on June 26, 2018.
Healthcare Redefined
June 26, 2018
Hear PHA’s President & CEO Nancy Roman, along with experts from Bates White Economic Consulting and the Center for American Progress, shared insights on how the private sector can ensure access to better health for all Americans, including specific examples of ways companies like Walmart and CVS Health can contribute to preventive care, and more. Watch the full video.
Mergers & Innovation: Measuring Performance and Patient Care
June 25, 2018
We’ve seen a surge in healthy innovation. Within the last year, CVS purchased Aetna, Amazon purchased Whole Foods, and meal kit delivery services have raked in $5 billion in sales, up $1.5 billion from last year, with consumers continuing to buy into the idea of healthier, but quick, meal prep. Read More
Why They Buy — Tracey Massey, President, Americas Mars Wrigley Confectionery, on Consumer Market Research and Obesity
June 22, 2018
Post by Stacy Molander, Chief Operating Officer, Partnership for a Healthier America
More and more companies are ensuring that their core business — their products and services — inherently contribute to the well-being of people and the planet. And for consumer packaged goods companies, this couldn’t be more of a rapidly growing necessity. Read More
Voluntary Business Change for Social Good
March 2, 2018
When Walmart and DICK’s Sporting Goods decided to put restrictions on the kinds of guns they sell, I cheered out loud. It was a real demonstration of the power that corporations can have when they — through voluntary business practice change — take a step that addresses a social concern or need. Read More
Small Changes to the Iconic “Happy Meal,” Means Big Impact
February 15, 2018
McDonald’s announced with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation an important step toward better nutrition for kids with big results by adding water as a default choice for drinks on the kids menu. Read More
Word to the Wise from BlackRock CEO Larry Fink
January 17, 2018
When corporate America is flush with cash, it inspires me to call on food companies across the supply chain to devote more attention to social good. PHA calls on manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers, to devote a portion of corporate tax savings to improving the food supply. Read More
2017’s Top 10 Disruptive Moments in Health Innovation
December 20, 2017
From mergers and acquisitions to unique uses of technology, I’ve ranked 2017’s 10 most important moments in health innovation, including the use of plant-forward products and Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market. Read More
Good Food From the Bed and the Box
October 24, 2017
Imagine my surprise when Hugh Welsh, a colleague from a global, science-based company focused on health and nourishment, told me locally grown and organic produce is a big hurdle to good nutrition in this country. Let me explain… Read More
Business Has the Power, and… The Responsibility
October 17, 2017
America’s children are in worst shape than ever – weighing more today than they have in 40 years. Corporations have both the power – and responsibility – to affect change both in the food supply and in fostering physical activity. Read More
Making Healthier Convenient
October 11, 2017
I had been exploring ways to get more and healthier foods into food deserts. Many brainstorms, studies, and strategy sessions later, I realized that a possible solution was literally sitting right on the corner: convenience stores. Read More