Food Insecurity and the Low Income Family Essay - 550 Words

Food insecurity is an issue faced by millions of Americans every day, and the biggest group affected by this are working families with children. Food insecurity is so big that the United States government have now recognized it and provided a definition for it. The United States government has defined food insecurity as a household level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food (USDA.gov). Food banks and anti-hunger advocates agree that some of the causes of food insecurity are stagnant wages, increase in housing costs, unemployment, and inflation of the cost of food. These factors and unemployment have cause food banks to see a change in the groups of people needing assistance. Doug O’Brien,†¦show more content†¦However, the Food Research and Action Center says that food insecurity and obesity go hand in hand. On frac.org the group highlights studies that show that limited resources and lack of access to healthy affordable f oods, cycles of food deprivation and overeating, and high levels of stress can all lead to weight gain. The studies show that foods that are more commonly accessed by the low income families are cheaper, higher in fat, calories and in sodium. A diet based on these types of foods leads to weight gain and obesity, which is why the low income family are more affected by obesity than any other group. Skepticism of people’s true need ties into the support of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formally known as Food Stamps. By the 1990’s conservatives and some liberals argued that the Johnson-era reforms had created a culture of dependency on government aid. In 1996 Congress overhauled the welfare system by imposing work requirements and putting time limits on cash payments to the needy. This act caused the SNAP rolls to drop, but the economic crisis that began in 2007 pushed the national unemployment rate above 9 percent. With unemployment at an a ll-time high this forced millions of families to seek government aid. In response to this new need the SNAP program was expanded as part of the stimulus package in 2009. This expansion was intended to be a temporary fix with cuts to the program to being in 2013. The thoughtShow MoreRelatedFood Insecurity Essay1072 Words   |  5 PagesFood Insecurity Nutrition is important for healthy life. Many people are still hungry around the world even though there is mass production of food. This is because of unhealthy food production. In today’s world we see many obese people because of high intake of high fat and cholesterol containing food. It is important to have a healthy diet/ nutritional intake for individuals to have good foundation for physical and mental health. Now a day’s healthy food is getting more expensive rather thanRead MoreObesity : Childhood Hunger And Poverty1146 Words   |  5 Pagesa wealthy nation, yet 10.6% of households with children (4.2 million) suffer from food insecurity [1]. Low-income households are also much more likely than others to suffer from childhood hunger, caused by a recurrent or involuntary lack of food. The USDA defines food insecurity as â€Å"limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways† [2]. Yet, obesity of children in America has become aRead MoreIntroduction. In Canadian History, Food Resources Were1405 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction In Canadian history, food resources were locally bountiful and low cost. Fresh food was historically produced and distributed throughout local communities and province wide. Manitobans would face a change to their food resources through industrialization, suburbanization, governmental control, policy creations, and displacement of Aboriginal people. A change made from communal collective well being, to personal interest through capitalism promoting the inequality of the rich owningRead MoreFood Insecurity And Measurements Used1681 Words   |  7 PagesFood Insecurity and Measurements Used To understand food insecurity, one first needs to grasp the concept of food security. Food security is present when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and healthy food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy lifestyle.1 So, food insecurity is when this source of healthy nutritious food is limited or unattainable, causing food deprivation and malnutrition.1 Food insecurity is a phenomenonRead MoreThe Hunger Of The United States And The Influences It Has Over The People Affected1163 Words   |  5 Pagesrichest nation of the world, one in six Americans do not have enough food to eat. Have you ever wonder why there are so many food banks and food pantries throughout the country? They are not simply, as you thought, existent to offer emergency food assistance. Indeed, they are the main sources of food to millions of food-insecure Americans. Food insecurity, the state of not having sufficient quantity of affo rdable and nutritious food, has been very widespread and common in America. It affected millionsRead MoreFood Insecurity Is Not Associated With Children With Disabilities1116 Words   |  5 PagesFood Insecurity in U.S. Households That Include Children with Disabilities Food insecurity refers to â€Å"the lack of adequate, nutritious, and safe foods, typically due to financial resource constraints† (Bickel, et al. 43). Food insecurity is not associated with the overall diet quality. Envision not knowing when or where the next meal will be coming from. â€Å"Improving household food security is a chance for society to help enhance the outcome of families that struggle with food insecurities.† MakingRead MoreCollege Students Are At Risk For Hunger1405 Words   |  6 Pagesrisk for hunger. Low-income students do not prioritize eating because of their other financial responsibilities, including rent, textbooks, and transportation. Students who tend to buy their own food, do not buy the most nutritious meals which includes the infamous ramen for lunch or dinner. Two articles that discuss students experiencing food insecurity are â€Å"Students Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between Books and Food† by Clare Cady explains how low-income students cannot afford the food provided on campusRead MoreFood Insecurity At The United States Essay825 Words   |  4 Pageswere food insecure? (Feeding America, 2016) Additionally, household with children reported higher rates of food insecurity compared to households without children. According to new research, a great proportion of college students are suffering from food insecurity (Hughes et al., 2011; Patton-Lopez et al., 2014) . According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is defined by â€Å"the state of being without reliable access to sufficient quantity of affordable nutritious food† (2015)Read MoreAll You Can Eat By Joel Berg1299 Words   |  6 Pageslack of understanding the problems and drastic result of families with money instabilities. The standard household is able to live freely and eat their meals at the table with one another, yet there are families that are unable to eat when they want and whatever they want. Though it may be hard to understand, if looking through the wrong perspective, Americans are able to fall into a slope of stability downfall. This meaning that their income becomes scarce. With their lack of salary, they are unableRead MoreSummary Of A Place At The Table 993 Words   |  4 Pagesasking and begging for food in the streets. However, what we fail to understand is that hunger is closer to us than what we think. A fellow co-worker or p erhaps even the next door neighbor may be an example of someone who suffers from food insecurity. Food insecurity is when a person does not know when or where the next meal will come from. Food insecurity is most likely to develop in food deserts, a place where there is little to no fruits, vegetables and whole healthy foods. The documentary, A Place