When considering the term “food insecurity”, one may at first think this is referring to paying the bills for food. The notion of food security certainly has to do with financial capability. If we have money we can prevent ourselves and loved ones from starving. However, the problem of food insecurity is deeper than that. Basically, it refers to one’s ability to regularly access nutritious and healthy meals and implement best eating practices into their lives. If we can’t do that for ourselves and our families, we are suffering from food insecurity.
“27 year old Maria, recently laid off from her restaurant job in Cambridge, came to apply for Food Stamps for herself and her 8 year old child. She was much more concerned now about food because the free school lunches were not available during the summer. I was unable to apply for Food Stamps for her because she was living in an illegal apartment and therefore did not have a legitimate address. All I could give Mariawere locations for Food Pantries,” says Lily G.,Pediatric Social Worker.
In Massachusetts, about 1,800,000 adults (32% of the state) are experiencing food insecurity today. At the same time, around 21% of Massachusetts households with children are experiencing negative effects made by food insecurity. Furthermore, according to the Greater Boston Food Bank, the food-insecurity rate has increased 53% during the pandemic.
Food insecurity has been a long-term problem in the United States. The difference of rate of food insecurity varies among groups and races. According to her survey, for example, Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, Director of nutrition, Mass General Hospital for children, 50% of the population in LGBTQ communities are experiencing food insecurity. What has been done by the government and organizations to help the public? They offered assistance and programs.
“So the SNAP and WIC are really, extremely helpful. And SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps. It’s known to help families really improve their diet and their health. WIC is the supplemental nutrition assistance program for women, infants, and children. It’s a program to help pregnant women and children under 5, and has been also shown to help families with their diet and their health by providing access to healthy foods.” Fiechtner lists the ways for the lower-income people to decrease the impact of food insecurity.
The real problem behind the scene is not simply the socio-economic status of the families. Instead, the stigmatization of “poor” “needy” could bring embarrassment and shame to people who could not afford food. Some people avoid asking for help based on that reason.
“When I ask families now if they are able to afford food, the rates are increasing. And I want them to know that these programs are probably eligible for them, and you can go on Mass.gov in about 10 seconds and you can find out if you’re eligible. Please reach out. We are here to help you. And I want you to use these benefits.” Says Fiechtner.
The access to food security also varies among races, and the ethnic minorities are always the groups that were hurt by the problem. At the beginning of the pandemic, the number of food-insecure had reached its peak in 2020. With the support made by a series of food assistance and other programs, the number decreased. Yet the food insecurity is now driving resurgence, since many of the programs are lowering their budget. Regarding that problem, Erin McAleer, CEO of the East Boston-based anti-hunger nonprofit Project Bread made a comment:
“When you also break those numbers down by race and ethnicity, what we’re seeing is over 33 percent of Black and Latino and multi-racial households in Massachusetts are experiencing food insecurity. … So, we’re very much still in a crisis here.”
Malnutrition is not the only problem on the stage of food-insecurity. To keep their children away from starving, some families choose to purchase cheaper food. This has also led to another problem: obesity.
According to the data drawn from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for children and adolescents aged 2-19 years in 2017-2020, while 19.7% (14.7 million) of the population were affected by obesity, the rate of prevalence varies based on their ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. For example, 22.2% of the overall child and adolescents’ obesity population are aged 12 to 19 years old.
Of course, the reality is far beyond the simple idea of fast food. During the pandemic, the diets and health of children and teenagers in the United States are facing increased mental health problems, food-insecurity, and a series of decisions made by schools and parents during the pandemic. And the problem of obesity also varies based on racial disparities. Additionally, the selection of food is also based on the access to food in different neighborhoods. In some areas with lower socio-economic status, or with smaller populations, the residents have less convenient options for healthy foods that they can afford, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to Ihuoma Eneli, MD, MS, FAAP, Director of the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in her study in Ohio, she finds that during the pandemic, “the early months of school closures, bans on social gatherings, disruptions to sleep and lack of exercise, increased screen time and snacking, as well as heightened stress and anxiety created the perfect storm for having issues with weight gain”. The state’s proportion of overweight or obese youth increased from 37.8% to 44.6% during the pandemic. Food insecurity is making a severe impact on the public’s health during the pandemic, and the adolescents and children are the populations with the highest impact. Jian Y., a teen from Malden, told this reporter: “I am thirteen years old. I have two little sisters. We eat at McDonald’s every day because my mother works two jobs and is never home. She tells me that we can’t apply for food stamps because we are ‘undocumented.’ ”
