-
Day 8: Food Insecurity in our Community
Today we will learn about how food insecurity affects the health of the individual and the community. Individuals and families who are experiencing food insecurity must make difficult decisions like choosing between food and other expenses like medicines. This leads to a community of people who are hungry and are not having their medical needs met. Hunger and health are intricately related, food insecurity is connected to many adverse health conditions. Read this article from Feeding America to learn more about the connection between nutrition and health. This video also demonstrates the connection between hunger and health.
So how does this affect all members of the community? First, let us talk about some of the most vulnerable members of our community- children. 1 in 6 children in the US are affected by food insecurity. Not having enough to eat can have big impacts on a child’s growth and development. Check out this article to learn more.
Food insecurity in a community can also be an indicator of the health of that community. The less food insecurity, the healthier the community overall.
Listen to this NPR story to learn more about how the pandemic has impacted food insecurity.
After you engage with the challenge materials on food insecurity, share with us how you think food insecurity has impacted our community. You can share your responses with us @LWScienceHealth on Instagram.
Want to dive deeper into the material? Links to all materials can be found at tinyurl.com/LWSHChallenge.
