Causes Of Food Insecurity Essay

Improved Essays
Low-income families are finding it hard to buy nutritonal food. And according to Craig Gunderson, who has a PH. D. and a B.A., and James Ziliak, who has published four books on this subject, this is not an uncommon problem; it affects one in five children in the United States. So while this is an obvious and extensive problem the solution is not quite as easy to find. Financial help is the solution that anyone would come by when thinking logically, but not only is that already provided, it is often not enough because while families then have the means to buy healthy food they are often hesitant to buy healthy food because of the lack of education around what food is healthy and how far people can stretch it. In example if someone was to go to the store this second, a bag of chips is cheaper than a bag of pre-made salad, which would lead to the conclusion that more people would be fed with the bag of chips even though the worth of the food in a body is not as much. But often those families fail to look at the price of a head of lettuce and a handful of carrots which could stretch farther than a bag of chips with more nutrition at around the same price. This lack of knowledge on how and when to shop for nutritious food is the cause of this food insecurity problem. Food insecurity is a diet that is not …show more content…
MyPlate is the plate that children are taught in school on what portion size each of the food groups should be on the plates that they eat. But Mical Shilts et al point out, in their article for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, that there are flaws in this system when it comes to those with literacy issues. They also identify that it is not easy, without example plates, to see how this system morphs into real life. So while people taking these classes will be given those tools they will also be shown examples of what meals are cheap and follow the MyPlate

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Corapi (2014) concludes that “the problem may not lie solely with food accessibility; it could also be due to people’s shopping and eating habits.” Joe Cortright supports this with research, stating, “the opening of new, healthier supermarkets in neighborhoods has very little effect on what nearby residents eat” (2015). Now looking towards giving education and raising the awareness needed, the authors both reflect on what has been and what can be done. Cummins says his key message is that “they’re just not successful on their own”, “you need good health education programs that teach the skills needed for buying and cooking healthy foods” (Corapi, 2014). Providing evidence of what was previously done to help these families, Smirl (2011) includes that “the North End Food Security Network [approaches] the food needs of community members through” teaching cooking skills and food budgeting and nutritional education.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Faridatou Issiako Jackie Walorski’s Op-Ed (June 13, 2016) argues that the Obama administration decreased the access of low-income families’ of receiving healthy and nutritious foods. Walorski clarifies her statement by briefly explaining what a food desert is how rural and urban communities are greatly affected. In order for Walorski to inform people about the setbacks of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), she must aim her attention, specifically on the low-income families in the community.…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Obesity And Poverty

    • 1525 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Obesity continues to rise among women, men, and children. Poverty makes it difficult for low-income families to obtain fresh, healthy foods and this lack of nutrients can lead to obesity. Obesity often occurs within families who live in a low-income community. Some families use foods stamps and learn how to balance and pick meals accordingly to prices between healthy and non-healthy foods. However, obesity problems grow within parents who cannot afford to meet the needs of their families; on the other hand, the government wants to make plans on how to restore the balance but does not follow through.…

    • 1525 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many problems arise out of this economic discrepancy of food, including the dreaded obesity. The truth is, the nutritional value of food is related to one’s economic class, causes things like food deserts, and needs to be restored. When thinking about the economy, we usually distinguish between rich and poor. The same goes with food, although we might not realize it. There are many places around the U.S. that are rich in the nutritional value of their food, and there are others that are not so fortunate.…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Of those 23.5 million people, about half are also low income. Considering that some small corner stores that do not carry fresh foods are still considered grocery stores, those numbers are potentially much higher. Some argue that in order to improve nutrition in impoverished areas, more access to grocery stores must be established, while another idea is that high prices for healthy vs low prices for unhealthy food is more to blame. Whatever the cause, poor nutrition, especially for children may lead to obesity, sicknesses like type 2 diabetes, anxiety disorders, and learning disabilities. Children who have poor nutrition are also more likely to repeat grades and have even linked to lower IQs (Fleck, 2016).…

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hunger in America is a great problem but it can be prevented and eradicated as long as the nation has the will and determination to make it happen both on a national scale. In America alone, statistics prove that one in every six individuals face hunger on a regular basis. Although there is an astonishing amount of people who face hunger, this is not because there is an insufficient supply of food available in the country, but it is because many individuals are living in poverty or below the poverty line. Rosie, a young fifth grader living in Colorado, is one of millions of children who face hunger as a result of poverty. Rosie is dependent on neighbors and friends, food stamps, numerous charities and organization and relies on any other resources that can aid her in obtaining a sufficient amount of food.…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Food Insecurity In Canada

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Lynn McIntyre’s “food insecurity not the flip side of food security policy” (2011) explains the legitimate concern for food insecurity as it is a public health issue in Canada. Food insecurity has been associated with poor physical and mental outcomes along with chronic conditions (Statistics Canada, 2013). This issue of food insecurity is directly associated with the level of household income (McIntyre, 2011). McIntyre illustrates how the level of household income is a social determinant which has adverse effects on people. Families of low-income lack the financial resources that are essential in maintaining healthy foods and diets on a day to day basis.…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Importance Of Food Insecurity

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    • 11 Works Cited

    The United States Department of Agriculture defines food unsecurity as the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire such food, is limited or uncertain for a household.…

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    • 11 Works Cited
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    My Supertracker Experience MyPlate is the current national nutrition guide, set by the United States Department of Agriculture. The main goal of MyPlate is to create a visually appealing guide, which features nutrient-dense foods, incorporated into a balanced diet. MyPlate encourages people to enjoy a variety of food, while making healthy choices from the different food groups represented. In addition, according to Choosemyplate.gov, “people should be choosing foods and beverages that are low in saturated fat, sodium and added sugars” (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2016). MyPlate promotes Americans to acquire better nutritional knowledge about the food they are eating.…

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Effects Of Food Insecurity

    • 1067 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There are basics of life that an individual needs regularly to survive. This includes, but is not limited to food, water and shelter. Unfortunately, different circumstances like the lack of means of subsistence, consequently inhibit an individual’s access to these basic needs. For someone to live a healthy life, they have to eat a certain amount of nutrients that the body needs on regular basis. However, the lack of a reliable supply of food or a complete lack of nutritious food, can lead to a variety of diseases and in some cases can lead to death.…

    • 1067 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This past weekend I had the chance to return to my friend’s church to volunteer. I helped with collecting donating food from church members, and helping serve the dinner that evening. This dinner was advertised around the surrounding community by the church members and there was a great mix of participants. Those ranging from mild food insecurity to those that are pretty well off, upper middle class. It was interesting to watch the interaction between these various diverse socioeconomic groups.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Poverty and Food Insecurity Before Research I honestly know nothing about people on food stamps or disability except that some people need it and others just use it. I do not really think about the people themselves either. As far as I am concerned, they are just people with different problems compared to me. There really is not a certain way they should act either.…

    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People and Nutrition Problems Healthy foods seem to be very far away from us that we rather get a pizza or hamburger for our meal. One of the biggest problems in our society is that not everybody invests the necessary time on cooking and preparing the right healthy meal that they are about to consume. Accessing healthy foods is difficult while there are many fast food restaurants all around our city which tend to have cheaper prices and they are easier to consume as well. In the other hand there is an importance of acknowledging which type of foods are the right foods for our bodies. However, there might be people with economic problems creating a barrier on accessing healthy foods or getting to know more about the healthy foods actions…

    • 1138 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Food security and nutrition is important in Togo so all residents have safe and nutritious foods to meet their dietary needs and prevent them from disease. Lack of food security leads to malnutrition, which “can result in negative physical outcomes such as inadequate growth, stunting, and wasting, as well as negative impacts on mental development”(Wendland, 2008). Despite the physical effects malnutrition is often “the underlying cause of death from routine infections and parasites”(Wendland, 2008). According to Food and Agriculture Organization, 6% of Togo suffers from malnutrition. Recent reports from UNICEF found northern Togo suffers from higher rates of malnutrition than the overall countries average (Wendland, 2008).…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The most impactful part of my service was the classroom experience and as well as volunteering for Potluck in the Park. These two aspects of the PSU Hunger Capstone has really helped me not only opened in learning more in depth of how severe the issue of food insecurity is but as well as how vital my job at the pantry is. Along with that, taking the capstone has really made me think about my role and start getting me to think of ideas I can incorporate into the pantry. With Potluck in the Park, it has definitely been an eye-opening, hands-on experience for me working with a huge hungry population. Prior to class, I have been working at the pantry for over three years and to be honest all I really knew about in terms of food insecurity was just mainly about food insecurity on the Portland State campus.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics