FOOD INSECURITY/HEALTH DISPARITIES

BY

HEIDI GEHA

PROFESSOR MCMULLEN

CULTURAL ASPECTS OF HEALTH HSC210

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

 FOOD INSECURITY/HEALTH DISPARITIES

In a nation with such luxuries and frivolous pleasures it is almost unimaginable to think that

children go to bed hungry because their parents cant afford to put food on the table. Maybe it

is your grandfather, grandmother, distant relative, or the person who lives next to you that will

go without food today. For 50 million people this is a reality; food insecurity is a day to day

struggle, not knowing where or when you will have your next meal. Some may have food to eat

but it is not enough to provide the nutritional values need to sustain a healthy life style.

With the help of Healthy People 2020 and several other articles I will explore how food

insecurity is determined and measured, and how food insecurities relate to health disparities. I

will also explore food deserts and their relationship to health disparities. The effects food

insecurity has on a nutrition and health and the ever increasing rise in obesity. Finally, what

programs are out there to help these people in need of good nutritional food.

Food insecure is measured and determined by a survey conducted by the USDA. Every

December of each year a survey is given to about 45,000 households, the survey contains 18

questions about food spending and the use of federal and community food assistant programs

(usda.gov). According to the USDA each household is placed somewhere on a food security

continuum that ranges from high to low food security and then on a continuum that rates the

severity of the food insecurity. To be considered food insecure the household must report

three or more conditions (usda.gov). That is, they were unable to acquire adequate food for

one or more household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for
food (usda.gov). If there are children in the house they are also assessed, the classification of

very low food security would then need to be confirmed by two more positive responses to the

survey (usda.gov).

Food insecurity in the United States in a multifaceted problem; there is not just one good

reason for the lack of food. In the September/October issue of, Eating Well, an article by Julia

Westbrook, The Price of Eating Well, Julia asks the question: Can all Americans afford to eat

their fruits and veggies? According to the statistics the answer is, NO. The following is a

summary of the statistical breakdown:

The minimum daily cost of eating 4 cups of fruit and vegetables, $2.10

Income spent on groceries, average American household, 7%

Percent of income spent on groceries ($2,506) by households in the lowest income

bracket (making below $18,362 per year), 23%

About 20% of all households make under $18,362 per year, 20% = 25,364,000

Those who make $18,362 per year spend $452 per year on produce

$0.73 is how much the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables must cost

for the lowest income bracket family to afford them in their budget.

The United States has a high wage inequality, which creates the income deficit in most

households. Families are not making enough to make ends meet let alone buy healthy food.

Some are forced to choose between paying bills or eating (YouTube video).

Health disparities in the United States are the result of food insecurities; when people are
forced to go without food or have no food to eat it has negative consequences on their health.

One of the largest effects caused by food insecurity is obesity. It is cheaper to buy processed

food (carb laden, fatty, unhealthy) than it is to buy fresh produce. When a person goes from

having enough food to having none the body starts to create visceral fats. Weight gain and

visceral fat (deep fat that wraps around organs) is a leading health concern for chronic diseases.

There is significant scientific research that correlates food insecurity to diabetes and poor

management of diabetes for those who already have diabetes. Food insecurity affects people

mentally and physically which has detrimental effects on ones quality of life.

Food deserts are geographic locations where food is inaccessible. The ability to get fresh fruits

and vegetables is hindered by lack of grocery stores, farmers markets, and healthy food

providers (usda.gov). According to a speech given by Michelle Obama on February 19, 2010

there are 23.5 million Americans living is food deserts; both rural and inner city. (youtube.com,

video). Due to the lack of access to healthy food, people in these isolated areas are eating

more processed, sugary, and fatty foods from convenience stores. To be considered a food

desert, 500 people or 33% of the census tracts population must reside more than one mile

from a supermarket or large grocery store (for rural census tracks, the distance is more than 10

miles). (usda.gov).

Where I live is a rural area and I can walk to the grocery store, which is a Co-op (uses mainly

local produce and vendors, community). I can also walk to McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts, but

I am considered out of city limits. On the map, tract 50027965000 in Windsor County,
Vermont; states: there is not a high number of households without cars that are more than a

half mile from a supermarket (17 of 1386 total households).

Food insecurities create health disparities which in turn affect the health of over 50 million

Americans. These people are at higher risk for obesity, diabetes, cardio vascular disease, and

many other chronic illnesses. Programs in every county in the United States are set up by the

federal government, state, and local offices to help families with food insecurities. Some of

these programs can only be used based on qualification, which still leaves a large number of

people without help. The three major federal food assistant programs are: (Feeding America)

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP)

2. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

3. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
 WORKS CITED

Westbrook, J. (2016). The Price of Eating Well: Can all Americans afford to eat their
fruits and veggies? Not according to these numbers. Eating Well, September/October
2016, 18.

Lee, S.L., Gundersen, C., Cook, J., Laraia, B., and Johnson, M.A. (2012). Food Insecurity
and Health across the Lifespan. Advances in Nutrition: An International Review
Journal, 3, 744-745. Doi:10.3945/an.112.002543

Feeding America. (2014). Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics. Retrieved from
http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/hunger-and-
poverty/hunger-and-poverty-fact-sheet.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

USDA ERS. (?). Food Security in the U.S.: Measurement. Retrieved from
http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-
us/measurement.aspx

Gallagher, M. (2011). USDA Defines Food Deserts. Nutrition Digest. American

Nutrition Association. 35. No. 3. Retrieved from
http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

United States Department of Agriculture. (2016). Go to the Atlas. Retrieved from

http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-
atlas.aspx

Food Insecurity in the United States. YouTube Video. Retrieved from

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPoqoklorZk