In the current era, food shortage is becoming very common. In some cases, it is a result of hyperinflation, economic failure, not using fertilizers properly, water shortage, and much more. Amidst the pandemic, most countries are already struggling but with wars and civil unrest, the problems are now becoming direr. As a first-world country that is declared to be a superpower, no one thinks America can have a hunger issue. Especially because we keep seeing food fights on TV and as we rush to supermarkets we see every aisle filled with so much food that it can cure the hunger of a city. Yet when we look at stats we see that hunger indeed is one of the biggest issues faced by modern America. Most people think that it might be because of hyperinflation; others feel the food is not good enough whereas most people feel that it is an artificially created food shortage. No matter what the issue might be, we cannot deny that food insecurity is becoming a problem in America.
According to recent stats declared by USDA, 12 million kids are facing food-related issues in the US. Moreover, more than 38 million adults are suffering from food shortages. Amidst the pandemic, the food shortage has become alarming and it is mainly impacting the people of color who are facing hunger issues. Comparing the urban and rural areas, people living in rural areas are suffering from more hunger as compared to people living in urban areas. Although there are so many different programs that help people to avoid hunger yet, the federal nutrition program is one of the best ones yet. Apart from this, there are so many other programs consisting of local food banks and other food programs. Currently, there are so many different food programs that are specifically targeting Latin American, African Americans, and Native Americans because the hunger ratio in them is much more as compared to any other community.
With the help of this article, we will explore why a developed country like America cannot overcome its extreme food insecurity and what is the reason that is impacting the overall food shortage.
Food insecurity doesn’t mean hunger or deprivation of food for a long time. Food insecurity means that you are not sure if you will have enough food to last you a day or two. According to a recent study conducted in 2020, 10 in every 80 Americans face food insecurity issues. This means that more than 12 million kids in America are facing food-related issues. Although food insecurity impacts the health of adults as well since kids are in the developing stage, it usually impacts them in the worst way possible. It results in student growth long with extreme health conditions and impacts their cognitive abilities as well.
According to USDA, food insecurity means a lack of consistency in the supply of food. This means that hunger are food insecurity cannot be categorized together because hunger or food shortage means you will not have access to food at all. The main difference is that food insecurity will only impact you if you have domestic issues especially related to finances. Food insecurity has a lot to do with poverty which is the reason poor regions, black and Latino households are affected the most.
Why does Food Insecurity Happen?
Food insecurity doesn’t occur in isolation because there is the easy availability of food yet you will see yourself struggling with a lot of different issues. According to research people who face food insecurity issues, the main reason is that there are so many negative overlapping issues that collectively impact food availability. Some of the main reasons that have been noted include social isolation, economic issues, social disadvantages, disability, racism, illness, high medical billing, low-quality lifestyle due to low wages, and poverty.
These issues might seem very diverse but the common ground is that all these things impact the financial condition which eventually impacts the buying power. A simple example is that when a family has a member with cancer this usually drains them financially making them economically very weak and this impacts their buying capacity as well. Eventually, you will see them facing food insecurity issues. In some cases, sudden accidents or mishaps might not be the reason because there are so many other things involved. You will see kids born in poor households or people living in rural areas with very low income getting affected the most.
Who Are Most Affected?
Although food insecurity affects everyone equally yet we see a pattern when it comes to the impact of this food shortage. According to a recent study, senior citizens with no retirement backup or very low income suffer the most, followed by children in developing stages along with rural communities, African communities, and Latinos.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, it is very important to work on the issues that result in food insecurity. One of the leading issues is poverty and if you can control that you will also be able to control your buying ability and eventually food insecurity-related issues can be resolved right away.
About the Author
This article was created by Ann Edwards. Ann Edwards is a fully qualified personal trainer from Elite Sports. She has been helping people in the field of bodybuilding and fitness from more than a decade. Her career in nutrition and physical therapy has made her a fine addition for our team.