SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, and Foodsmart, the nation’s largest telenutrition provider, released a detailed white paper showcasing results from their partnership over the past two years, including significant positive health outcomes for thousands of people living with obesity and diabetes.
Lack of access to nutrition is the leading driver of poor health outcomes, and according to the CDC, poor nutrition and related diseases account for most illness, disability, and death in the U.S. Poor diets are also the leading drivers of healthcare costs, and 85% of all health care spending is related to the management of diet-related chronic disease – costing roughly $1.1 trillion each year.
Effective, scalable solutions that acknowledge the critical link between nutrition and health need to be integrated into health care delivery. As treatments like GLP-1s expand, experts recognize the effectiveness of these medications but also assert that sustained improvements in health depend on long-term dietary and behavioral changes. These changes are crucial for members living with diabetes and obesity to improve their health, whether as part of a lifestyle shift or to complement medication.
Offered to members of health plans including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid, the Foodsmart and Instacart program combines FoodSMART telenutrition services with medically-tailored groceries via Instacart. Members receive Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipends to purchase dietitian-recommended foods from their preferred local grocery store on Instacart.
Instacart today reaches more than 98% of U.S. households, including 93% of those located in food deserts. The joint program provides a scalable and personalized solution for members with chronic diseases by offering the tools, education and support needed to make lasting behavior changes that lead to health improvements.
Health plan members that participated in the joint program saw enhancements in nutrition and dietary habits, improved diabetes management and sustained weight loss, across thousands of member interactions over a two-year period.
Of the more than 18,500 members included in this retrospective analysis who utilized the combined power of Foodsmart with Instacart, results included:
- Enhanced Diabetes Management: 52.9% of members with diabetes who combined telenutrition and Instacart saw a clinically significant 0.5% reduction in Hemoglobin A1c (a key marker of diabetes management), compared to 43.2% for telenutrition-only participants.
- Weight Loss that Sustains: Adding medically-tailored groceries through Instacart increased the likelihood of a member to achieve 5%+ in weight loss by nearly 50%. At 21 months, 47.1% of members living with obesity who participated in both programs achieved at least 5% weight loss, compared to 32.1% of those using only telenutrition services.
- Better Nutrition Habits: Participants combining telenutrition and grocery delivery saw an 8.6% improvement in nutrition scores, compared to a 3.3% improvement in those using telenutrition alone.
- Impactful Increase in Engagement: Members using both telenutrition and Instacart’s online grocery services nearly doubled their program engagement, compared to those using telenutrition services alone, suggesting that combining telenutrition and Instacart not only boosts engagement but may also promote better interactions with dietitians.
“Clinical outcomes from Foodsmart’s partnership with Instacart demonstrate the powerful role that medically-tailored groceries and accessible delivery can play in healthcare,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President and General Manager of Health at Instacart. “Through Foodsmart’s program, Instacart provides access to medically-tailored nutritious food delivered from trusted local grocers, empowering members with the tools to make more informed choices, sustain healthy habits and improve their health over the long term.”
“The partnership between Instacart and Foodsmart is one of the largest demonstrations of how comprehensive Foodcare can equitably lower chronic disease outcomes and healthcare costs at scale across the U.S.,” said Dr. Jason Langheier, CEO and Founder of Foodsmart.
“Everyone in America should have easy access to a primary care dietitian, like those provided by FoodSMART telenutrition, so families have a trusted partner to set up the Foodcare environment that supports their long-term well-being and helps them navigate behavior change in a sustainable way. Instacart’s enablement of online grocery shopping and Fresh Funds subsidies reaching nearly every household in the U.S. gives every American and their dietitian the opportunity to fundamentally change their lives for the long run.”
To learn more about the program’s impact on nutrition, weight management, and diabetes control, download the full white paper here.
About Instacart
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.
About Foodsmart
Foodsmart is the largest telenutrition and food benefits management platform in the U.S., backed by the largest national network of Registered Dietitians. Foodsmart’s platform helps patients make consistently healthier food choices, lasting behavior change and long-term positive health outcomes. Foodsmart’s digital platform guides members through a personalized journey to eating well while saving them time and money, through seamlessly integrating dietary assessments and nutrition counseling, personalized meal planning, SNAP enrollment, and budget-friendly online food ordering options. Learn more at www.foodsmart.com.
