Food Insecurity Prevalence Is Affected By Many Aspects Of Our Society

Schmeer, K. K., & Piperata, B. A. (2017). Household food insecurity and child health. Maternal

After reading the extensive “The New Face of Hunger” (Tracie McMillan), my eyes became more open to the overall issue of hunger, faced by many people today. In a few words, I was absolutely shocked by the true meaning and examples provided of what exactly food insecurity is. Honestly speaking, when I hear the word “hunger” I think of a human who has no food, living on the streets. “The New Face of hunger” brought to my attention that food insecurity is much more than simply having no food. In fact, “In 2006 the U.S. government replaced “hunger” with the term “food insecure” to describe any household where, sometime during the previous year, people didn’t have enough food to eat” (The New Face of Hunger). Not only was I able to see the harsh

In our course of study we have learned the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary prevention levels. Primary prevention is aimed at preventing or reducing the effects on populations. Primary prevention occurs when we educate our patients, families or the community, providing them with the tool of knowledge needed to prevent illness. My project on food insecurity promotes primary prevention in university students by attempting to identify those students experiencing food insecurity, then providing those students with the resources to obtaining supplemental food within their community.

Food insecurity is defined as “the lack of access to enough food to ensure adequate nutrition.”1 The Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that 14.6% of US households were food insecure during at least some portion of 2008 (up 11.1% from 2007), the highest levels recorded since monitoring began in 1995.2 Food insecurity is a concern of under consumption and obesity is a disease of over consumption, yet both outcomes may coexist, seemingly incongruously, within the same household.2 The most popular explanation is that low-cost, energy-dense foods linked to obesity are favored by financially constrained households, who are the most likely to be food insecure.2 Another theory, focusing on environmental context net of individual circumstance, argues that obesity and insecurity are both symptoms of malnutrition, occurring in neighborhoods where nutritious foods are unavailable or unaffordable.2 A separate literature researches environmental roles in poor nutritional outcomes, recent studies link obesity as well as atherosclerosis and diabetes to the food environment, the local context of available food items.2 The theory is that local inaccessibility to healthy foods influences diet composition, a claim supported by evidence.2 Especially in poorer neighborhoods, food options are often limited to fast food restaurants, convenience stores, or grocery stores more poorly stocked both in

In a study conducted by Hwang, S. W., Ueng, J. J. M., Chiu, S., Kiss, A., Tolomiczenko, G., Cowan, L., … Redelmeier, D. A. (2010). Universal Health Insurance and Health Care Access for Homeless Persons. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1454–1461. They looked at unmet needs for health care among homeless people in Toronto, Canada. This was done by surveying a representative sample of 1169 homeless individuals at shelters and meal programs and asked them if within the last year they had needed health care but been unable to get it.

According to a 2007 public opinion poll “ 80% of Canadians believed that homelessness and poverty are important concerns in Canada, while 46% felt that the government assistance programs were doing little” (Cassola, 2006). Homelessness is a street culture of violence, suffering, addiction, and dehumanization (Masters, 2006). These individuals are constantly ill and do not receive the essential health services and rehabilitation they require (Hwang,

The second part of Megan Carney (2015) focused on the various different food assistance programs and solutions for food insecurity. Across the country there are countless of organizations and programs that aim at assisting and improving food insecurity among marginalized communities. The truth of the matter is, that there are structural issues in the government that prevent individuals from making enough to support themselves and their families. It is hard to comprehend how the United States disagrees in recognizing food and its access to food as an inalienable human rights (Carney 2015). No one should be denied access to nutritious food.

No doubt, the recent economic crisis increased the levels of homelessness and food insecurity/hunger in America. The three most commonly cited causes of homelessness in America are substance abuse, lack of affordable housing, and mental illness. However, according to statistics, poverty and homelessness rates in America are overrepresented by minority groups (24.7% to 42% African American, 24.3% American Indian and Alaskan Native, 23.2% Hispanic, and

One out of seven people in the United States is in danger of facing hunger (The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, “Overview of Homelessness in America”). People living in poverty are the ones most at risk of homelessness, and those who are most likely to experience poverty are also more likely to face homelessness. These people include the elderly, youth, families, individuals, and others.

Canada has made great progress in addressing the issue of homelessness in the country, however there hasn’t been much thought into long term solutions to the problem and prevention. On any given night there are anywhere around 30,000 Canadians are homeless and 50,000 considered to be part of the “hidden” homeless population, who instead of sleeping outside stay with friends or relatives temporarily (CBC news, 2013). Researchers have found that certain factors may put someone at a higher risk of becoming homeless, however because every person’s story is different it is harder to categorize these risks (Echenberg, 2012). Homeless is defined, according to the Canadian Homelessness Research Network, as

Food security described as having access to enough food for a healthy life. Americans living with food insecurity are uncertain of having enough food to provide for household members due to insufficient funds or other resources for food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, very low food security is considered a food insecurity in which access to food is severely restricted. Hunger is described as a physical discomfort from not consuming food and can occur episodically but is possible to be the result of severe or protracted food insecurity. In Mississippi around 2007, about 29% of minorities were food insecure. According to the Feeding America network, African Americans are more likely to suffer from food insecurity.

Access to a healthy food or food security is a very important social determinate of health. Food insecurity is the economic and social condition of a family that have limited food access or unsure of nutritional value and quality of that food (Wang et al., 2015). In fact, nearly 49 million Americans faced food insecurity in 2012 (Wang et al., 2015). Food insecurity is associated with depression, management of the chronic diseases, and worse HIV outcomes (Wang et al., 2015). Also, a study showed that food insecurity is linked to poor glycemic control, inability to control blood pressure and cholesterol level (Berkowitz et al., 2013).

Food Insecurity is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life, and at a minimum includes the following: the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods and the assured ability to acquire personally acceptable foods in a socially acceptable way, qualified by their involuntariness and periodicity. Even though food insecurity affects everyone in the household, it may also affect them differently. Food insecurity mostly exists whenever food security is limited. Uncertain or limited availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods results chronic diseases psychological, and suicidal syndrome (Cook & Frank, 2008)

Our current food system is not sustainable for our people, our economy, and our environment. The current food system in the United States relies heavily on monoculture, the production of one crop over a large area, which favors corporate agribusiness over small farmers. While monoculture has resulted in higher yields and has been historically cost effective, it comes at the expense of less jobs, food insecurity, hunger, corporate profit and control over the food industry, environmental degradation, harmful chemical usage endangering not only human lives but other essential species, as well as livestock abuse and neglect, and racial projects that have negatively impacted communities for generations (Alkon H.A. & Agyeman J. 2011, p. 1-14).

Food Insecurity is a phrase used to describe when an area or demographic is unable to receive a certain type of food or have reduce quality of specific food sources. Symptoms in food insecurity can be characterized in several different ways, a study done on households in areas considered high risk for food insecurity run out of food before they got the money to buy more. 97% of households reported that the food they bought just did not last, they did not have money to get more. 97% reported that they could not afford to eat balanced meals and 96% reported that an adult had cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food 89% reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months. As well 96% of respondents reported that they had eaten less than they felt they should because there was not enough money for food and 69% of respondents reported that they had been hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food. 45% of respondents reported having lost weight because they did not have enough money for food. While 30% reported that an adult did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough money for food and as high as 24% reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months. (CNSTAT DEC, 2014) Food security is measured by the levels of anxiety and time between getting proper meals and quality of when they get do get food to eat. It is measured High food security; Households had no problems, or anxiety about consistently