VeggieRX

An estimated 13.5% of adults in South Carolina have diabetes, and an additional 35% have prediabetes.

As reported by American Diabetes Association:

• Approximately 558,570 people in South Carolina, or 13.5% of the adult population, have diagnosed diabetes.
• An additional 123,000 people in South Carolina have diabetes but don’t know it, greatly increasing their health risk.
• There are 1,361,000 people in South Carolina, 34.9% of the adult population, who have prediabetes with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
• Every year an estimated 31,168 people in South Carolina are diagnosed with diabetes.

As additionally reported by SCDHEC, approximately 558,570 adults in South Carolina. Approximately one in six African-Americans has diabetes, compared to one in eight white adults. More than one-third of South Carolinian adults have hypertension. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an important and proven component of regulating these diet-related diseases.

VeggieRx is a fruit and vegetable prescription program designed to increase the intake of fresh produce for patients with diet related diseases to improve health outcomes (reducing A1C, blood pressure and weight levels). Participating physicians ‘prescribe’ patients fresh fruits and vegetables that they receive from FoodShare’s Fresh Food Box. The long term goals are to reduce food insecurity, improve health outcomes, and decrease health care costs.

• VeggieRx is a fresh produce prescription program for patients 18-years or older with pre-diabetes and diabetes.
• Enrolled patients receive a free FoodShare Fresh Food Box filled with healthy fruits and vegetables every two weeks for a total of 13 boxes over six months.
• Baseline health indicators (A1C levels, weight, BMI, and blood pressure) are collected at the beginning of the program, with a follow-up at six months
• VeggieRx currently operates in: Bamberg, Laurens, Lee, Oconee, Orangeburg, Richland and York counties with plans to expand through primary care physicians to additional counties in our state-wide network.