Food insecurity, unfortunately, is a too-common dilemma affecting millions worldwide everyday. But what exactly is it, and who does it predominantly affect?
Food insecurity is defined into two categories by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The first category of food insecurity involves “reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet and little or no indication of reduced food intake” [1], whereas the second category more severely involves “multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake” [1]. Food insecurity is a national issue, yet it seems to predominantly affect low-income and unemployed households. According to the Economic Research Service (ERS) branch of the USDA, while the national average of food-insecure households was 13.5% in 2023, 38.7% of households with incomes below the federal poverty line were food-insecure [6]. Food insecurity rates were also considerably higher for “single-parent households, women living alone, and Black and Hispanic households” [6].
Unfortunately, having a lower income also means having less access to healthier foods. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating a healthy diet costs $1.50 more daily compared to eating an unhealthy diet, explaining why lower-income households opt for cheaper, albeit unhealthier, diet options [7]. As such, this limits access to healthy food for specific demographics and facilitates the consumption of more unhealthy, sugary food.
When considering the overconsumption of unhealthy food, diabetes is a disease that comes to mind, likely due to the fact that 11.6% of the U.S. population suffers from it [4]. Diabetes is essentially a “group of diseases that affect how the body uses glucose” [2] with two types: Type 1 and Type 2. Both types of diabetes can happen at any age, but Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and is more prevalent in children, while Type 2 diabetes usually develops in older people due to lifestyle and diet issues. Specific causes of diabetes are unknown, but environmental and genetic factors have proven influential [2]. Some ways diabetes can be prevented include a healthy diet, regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Now, you might be wondering: how exactly are food insecurity and diabetes connected? According to a study published by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, food insecurity increased the prevalence of maternal and infant consumption of sugary beverages in low-income households [3]. In other words, low-income families are consuming excess amounts of unhealthy foods as a result of food insecurity, potentially inciting a cycle of health deterioration and the development of Type 2 diabetes that could’ve been avoided with access to affordable nutritious options.
The interconnectedness of food insecurity and diabetes may have facilitated a cycle of health disparities, but studies have shown that programs such as “Food is Medicine” and federal nutrition assistance programs provide an outlet for addressing this food insecurity and reducing health disparities in low-income communities [5]. While there is still work to be done on the journey to food equality, such programs illuminate a path to a brighter future where millions worldwide can overcome food insecurity and improve their health.
Edited by: Sheldon Liu
Designed by: Eugene Cho
References
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2020). Food insecurity. Food Insecurity - Healthy People 2030. (n.d.). https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/food-insecurity#:~:text=Food%20insecurity%20is%20defined%20as,possible%20outcome%20of%20food%20insecurity.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2024, March 27). Diabetes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444
Fernández, C. R., Chen, L., Cheng, E. R., Charles, N., Meyer, D., Monk, C., & Woo Baidal, J. (2020). Food Insecurity and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among WIC-Enrolled Families in the First 1,000 Days. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 52(8), 796–800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2020.03.006
American Diabetes Association. Statistics about diabetes. Statistics About Diabetes | ADA. (2023). https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes.
Levi, R., Bleich, S. N., & Seligman, H. K. (2023). Food Insecurity and Diabetes: Overview of Intersections and Potential Dual Solutions. Diabetes care, 46(9), 1599–1608. https://doi.org/10.2337/dci23-0002
USDA. (2023). USDA ERS - Food Security and Nutrition Assistance. USDA.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance/
Dwyer, M. (2013, December 5). Eating Healthy vs. Unhealthy Diet Costs about $1.50 More per Day. Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-1-50-more/
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