Penn Medicine: A Fresh Take on Employee Wellness Programs

For busy families, takeout is often the most convenient way to manage dinner. But that convenience may take a toll over time: Meals prepared away from home are often higher in calories and lower in nutrients than home-cooked meals. And too much of it can lead to higher body mass index, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure, all of which increase a person’s risk of obesity and other chronic diseases. “We set out to get people to prepare more home-cooked meals, which tend to be lower in sugar, fat, and sodium than meals eaten away from home,” said the study’s lead investigator, Carolyn C. Cannuscio, ScD, an associate professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Penn Medicine and director of dissemination at the Penn Center for Public Health Initiatives (CPHI). “And a lot of the produce that people do buy is thrown away because it goes bad. So, we wanted to provide access to fresh food and then encourage people to cook and eat it.” Read more at Penn Medicine News