Tsepelis 1

Holly Tsepelis

Ms. Cramer

Period 2

18 May 2022

Food Insecurity Effects on America

Food insecurity has been a huge issue for Americans, and it effects their daily life. There

are multiple occurrences that can lead to food insecurity for humans, poverty, family, and the

way they grow up. Many questions are continuing to be brought up every day on this topic, is

money the main cause of food insecurity? Does it only effect larger families? Is there a way of

solving this issue without an increase in a family’s income? I believe that the only way food

insecurity can be addressed is if prices go down for food, which will help the national food

insecurity issues, and have a positive effect on poverty.

Surveys were conducted in 2015-2016 from family’s living in urban neighborhoods in

Ohio. Those that used their own car for grocery shopping were less prone to having food

insecurity, those who also lived alone were less likely to report with food insecurity. The people

who had big family’s, chronic illness and people who have a high school education or less are

more likely to have food insecurity. Over half of the participants in the study showed that people

located in midwestern urban neighborhoods and low access to healthy food, people with chronic

conditions. They also based the study off your attitude. If you attitude towards food showed that

you can eat healthy, its cheap and convenient then you were less likely to scan for food insecure.
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But if your attitude is more on the downside like “it’s expensive” or “takes to long” then you

were more likely to have food insecurity. Food insecurity isn’t always a symptom that you can

physically see, it might be a death of a loved one, legal troubles, change in finances, or job

losses.

Food insecurity isn’t just a issue Americans are facing, its all around the world. One in

eight homes are affected by food insecurity with serious health consequences. Insufficient access

to food because of financial constraints is a public health concern. Food insecurity is associated

with higher health care spending if the family has a illness. Severe food insecurity was

consistently associated with higher mortality hazard from sudden death. Canadian adults from

food insecure households were more likely to die prematurely than their food secure peers. In the

article Association between household food insecurity problems, by the author Craig Gunderson,

it states, ”The crude mortality rate--number of deaths per 100000 person-years--was higher for

adults experiencing more severe food insecurity”. What this example states is that over the years

the adults who were found with higher amounts of food insecurity had less of a chance to

survive.

Food insecurity rates have risen and remained high, this has been associated with a wide

range of, health, behavioral, social and cognitive difficulties. “SPB” is a federal program that

offers breakfast at school, any student can consume the breakfast, they base the price off the

household income. Students with income less then 130% of the poverty guidelines are eligible

for free meals. The SPB program may increase the child’s consumption throughout the morning

hours and can shift from the home to the school. The SPB as potential to reduce food insecurity

multiple ways, direct provision of breakfast to students and the implied transfer to households.

Food insecurity in the United States is a growing issue that became more severe in the Great
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Recession and continues to cause concern. “Food insecurity is defined as “limited or uncertain

ability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire

acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.””

In the United States 11% of households were food insecure prior to the COVID-19

outbreak. Household food insecurity is defined as the lack of consistent physical and economic

access to safe, nutritious foods. COVID-19 has significantly changed the food environment due

to higher unemployment and interruptions in the food supply chain. When the government

announced lockdown it made it difficult for people to purchase perishable foods. Early in the

pandemic stares noted historically high sales of shelf-stable and packaged ultra-processed foods.

Approximately 30-million school children depend on the National school Lunch program for

low-cost or free lunches and with school closures, new groups of students became at risk for

food insecurity. “A recent study from Italy during the pandemic lockdown reported that children

were eating more snack foods”.

In conclusion I believe that in order for America to recover from poverty, and food

insecurity the prices of goods, and everyday supplies are going to have to be decreased. For

example since the Covid 19 outbreak the family food insecurity issues have grown due to lack of

money income, and increase in poverty. If prices were dropped it would then make it easier for

families around the world to afford food, and feed there families.

Reid, Amy. "Older Adults With Chronic Disease and Food Insecurity in the United States." Journal

of Gerontological Nursing, vol. 47, no. 12, Dec. 2021, pp. 7+. Gale Academic OneFile,
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link.gale.com/apps/doc/A684349476/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=f1d93635.

Accessed 23 May 2022.

Shanks, Carmen Byker, et al. "Scaling up measurement to confront food insecurity in the USA."

Translational Behavioral Medicine, vol. 10, no. 6, Dec. 2020, pp. 1382+. Gale Academic OneFile,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A669611276/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=b51b0e10.

Accessed 23 May 2022.

Poulos, Natalie S., et al. "Implementing food bank and healthcare partnerships: a pilot study of

perspectives from charitable food systems in Texas." BMC Public Health, vol. 21, no. 1, 6 Nov.

2021, p. NA. Gale Academic OneFile,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681662111/AONE?u=pl1949&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=47b1f31c.

Accessed 23 May 2022.