OpenAI Deep Research: Integrating Food, Health, and Retail for Better Nutrition

Pharma, Grocery, and Supply Chain Integration for At-Risk Consumers

Example Output of Open AI Deep Research Model

I recently ran a test of Open AI new Deep Research model, available to Pro users. It produces very interesting results. Here is the tutorial…..

The Prompt

I then inserted my Kirkland Article

Can Kirkland End the Chronic Disease Epidemic?

ChatGPT then asked for some clarification….

To which I replied (It seems indifferent to spelling errors):

GPT Asked some final questions, to which I replied

Off it went for 10 mins and generate a report, that probably would have taken me several days to write. The value of DeepResearch is less about the research, and more about asking smart questions.

The Result

“Food as Medicine” Initiatives: An emerging trend is the collaboration between healthcare (including pharma), grocery retailers, and food suppliers to treat food as part of healthcare. These programs target at-risk consumers (e.g. those with diabetes, heart disease, or food insecurity) by prescribing or providing healthy foods:

• Produce Prescription Programs: Healthcare providers give patients “prescriptions” for fruits and vegetables that can be redeemed at grocery stores or farmers’ markets. Study after study confirms these programs significantly improve diet and health. A pooled analysis of produce prescription trials found participants increased fruit and vegetable intake by about 22% (an extra 0.8 cups per day) (Impact of Produce Prescriptions on Diet, Food Security, and Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes: A Multisite Evaluation of 9 Produce Prescription Programs in the United States | Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes). These initiatives also improve food security and even lead to better clinical outcomes like lower blood pressure and blood sugar in patients with diet-related diseases (Impact of Produce Prescriptions on Diet, Food Security, and Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes: A Multisite Evaluation of 9 Produce Prescription Programs in the United States | Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes) (Impact of Produce Prescriptions on Diet, Food Security, and Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes: A Multisite Evaluation of 9 Produce Prescription Programs in the United States | Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes). In other words, when doctors prescribe healthy food and cost barriers are removed, patients do embrace the healthier options and see measurable health benefits – debunking the assumption that people won’t choose fruits and veggies if offered.

• Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy: Geisinger Health in Pennsylvania piloted a “Fresh Food Farmacy” for patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Enrolled patients receive weekly supplies of nutritious foods (along with recipes and nutrition education) as part of their treatment. The results have been striking: participants improved their diabetes control (average HbA1c blood sugar levels dropped 2 full points) and utilized less acute care. Geisinger reported 75% fewer hospital admissions and 30% fewer ER visits among program enrollees, yielding thousands of dollars in savings per patient (Fresh Food Farmacy Case Study). This case study shows that even in low-income or high-risk groups, patients eagerly use healthy groceries provided through healthcare – achieving better outcomes at lower cost. It demonstrates consumers do care about nutritious food when it’s made accessible and integrated with medical guidance.

• Grocery Chains with On-site Health Programs: Some supermarkets have brought healthcare services and nutrition counseling into the store. For example, regional grocer Heinen’s (in Ohio) reframed its stores as “pharmacies of the future” focused on food. Rather than operate traditional pharmacies, Heinen’s hired a Chief Medical Officer and in-store dietitians to connect food to preventive health. They launched a nutrition guidance membership (Club Fx) and even opened an in-store Personalized Nutrition Center where customers can get blood tests and diet plans for health conditions (Pardon the Disruption: Can grocers' food assortment become the pharmacy of the future? | Grocery Dive) (Pardon the Disruption: Can grocers' food assortment become the pharmacy of the future? | Grocery Dive). These services help shoppers understand how to eat for weight loss, diabetes management, gluten intolerance, and more – effectively blurring the line between a clinic and a grocery store. Heinen’s partnered with medical practitioners to administer testing and with insurers and employers to incentivize healthy eating (Pardon the Disruption: Can grocers' food assortment become the pharmacy of the future? | Grocery Dive) (Pardon the Disruption: Can grocers' food assortment become the pharmacy of the future? | Grocery Dive). This consumer-facing integration shows that when given support and tailored advice, shoppers respond positively (even paying out-of-pocket for diet consultations), confirming that many do want healthier options and guidance.

• Health Insurer and Retailer Partnerships: Another model is insurers teaming up with grocery retailers to improve nutrition for members. For instance, Kroger Health (the health division of Kroger supermarkets) partnered with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to offer a co-branded Medicare plan addressing “food as medicine.” Enrollees get a monthly Healthy Groceries debit card (up to $75/month) to spend on nutritious foods at Kroger stores (Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kroger Health Offer Plans that Include Allowance to Help Consumers Purchase Groceries and Popular Health Items | Business Wire), plus an “OTC allowance” for health-related items and free access to dietitians and healthy pantry staples delivered to their home (Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kroger Health Offer Plans that Include Allowance to Help Consumers Purchase Groceries and Popular Health Items | Business Wire) (Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kroger Health Offer Plans that Include Allowance to Help Consumers Purchase Groceries and Popular Health Items | Business Wire). In effect, the insurance plan subsidizes healthy grocery purchases and nutrition counseling. Early results indicate seniors eagerly utilize these benefits, defying any notion that only price or habit drives their food choices. Kroger’s president noted that using food and nutrition education preventively helps treat disease before it starts (Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kroger Health Offer Plans that Include Allowance to Help Consumers Purchase Groceries and Popular Health Items | Business Wire). These kinds of programs leverage the grocery supply chain (easy access to healthy products) alongside pharma/healthcare (guidance, prescriptions, subsidies) to drive better diets for at-risk consumers.

• Community Healthcare Partnerships: Some grocers work with hospitals and nonprofits on nutrition for vulnerable groups. For example, Food Lion (a Southeastern U.S. grocery chain) collaborates with a North Carolina hospital to send boxes of healthy food home with patients who have food insecurity (Albertsons launches digital health platform | Grocery Dive). Similarly, supermarkets in other regions have hosted “food pharmacy” programs where doctors can write prescriptions that patients fill at the store’s produce section. These integrated efforts illustrate a growing recognition: providing healthy food through familiar retail channels can be a powerful tool in managing chronic illness. The key takeaway is that consumers, when given knowledge and convenient access to nutritious foods (sometimes free or discounted), do take advantage of it to improve their diets. The success of these case studies disproves the assumption that “people don’t want healthy food” – on the contrary, they welcome it when it’s affordable and supported by trusted institutions.

Consumer Demand and Price Elasticity for Healthy vs. Cheap Food

High Interest in Healthier Options: Far from being apathetic, consumers increasingly do care about the healthfulness of their food. In a large 2018 survey, 93% of consumers said they want to eat healthy at least some of the time, and 63% report trying to eat healthy “most or all of the time” (Consumers Say They Want to Eat Healthy - Food Industry Executive). Shoppers across all demographics – from Gen Z to Baby Boomers – say they are willing to pay a premium for healthier foods that deliver promised benefits (Consumers Say They Want to Eat Healthy - Food Industry Executive). In fact, one poll found 88% of respondents would pay more for healthier options, debunking the myth that only price matters (Consumers Want Healthy Foods--And Will Pay More For Them). Younger generations in particular are often very health- and sustainability-conscious. For example, 70% of Gen Z support climate-smart agriculture and 55% of Gen Z consumers are willing to pay more for sustainably produced products (a proxy for quality and health in many cases) (More than half of Gen Z willing to pay more for sustainable products). This willingness to spend on nutrition extends to functional foods and specific diet needs as well – surveys show that shoppers look for protein, fiber, clean ingredients and other health attributes, even if those carry higher price tags (Grocers respond to demands for healthy foods, digital apps) (Grocers respond to demands for healthy foods, digital apps).

Willingness to Pay vs. Actual Behavior: Academic research confirms that a large segment of consumers will accept higher prices for healthy foods. A 2023 systematic review of 26 experiments found that in 88.5% of cases, consumers were willing to pay a premium for healthier versions of foods (Consumer willingness to pay for healthier food products: A systematic review - PubMed). On average, people paid about 30% more for healthier options, such as foods lower in fat or higher in whole grains and fruits/vegetables (Consumer willingness to pay for healthier food products: A systematic review - PubMed). Interestingly, that review noted certain demographics were especially likely to pay extra: older adults, women, individuals managing obesity, and those actively trying to live a healthy lifestyle were most willing to spend more for nutritious choices (Consumer willingness to pay for healthier food products: A systematic review - PubMed). Younger consumers and those already at a healthy weight were slightly less willing to pay a premium in those studies (Consumer willingness to pay for healthier food products: A systematic review - PubMed). This could be due to tighter budgets or feeling they don’t need to invest as much. Nonetheless, the overall trend is clear – there is positive willingness across the board to invest in healthier food. The challenge is that cheap calories (sugary, processed foods) are still widely available and appealing, so price differences do influence choices.

Price Elasticity – Healthy vs. Unhealthy: Pricing plays a huge role in food choice, and it affects healthy and unhealthy foods differently. Generally, demand for healthy foods like fruits and vegetables rises significantly when prices drop, whereas raising the price of junk food only modestly dampens demand. A meta-analysis quantifying this found that a 10% price reduction (a subsidy) on healthy foods led to about a 12% increase in consumption of those foods (The prospective impact of food pricing on improving dietary consumption: A systematic review and meta-analysis | PLOS ONE). In other words, consumers respond strongly to even small discounts on produce and other nutritious items – making them more affordable clearly boosts purchases. On the flip side, a 10% price increase (tax) on unhealthy foods or sugary drinks caused about a 6% decrease in consumption of those items (The prospective impact of food pricing on improving dietary consumption: A systematic review and meta-analysis | PLOS ONE). This asymmetry suggests that people are price-sensitive when it comes to adding more healthy food (they’ll buy a lot more if it’s cheaper), but many will continue buying “cheap calories” even if they get slightly more expensive (though consumption does decline a bit). It also reflects that unhealthy staples have addictive qualities and limited substitutes, so a minor tax doesn’t entirely deter buying; whereas for healthy items, removing cost barriers unleashes a lot of pent-up demand.