Food insecurity has broad effects on health due to the mental and physical stress it places on the body.  A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found that food insecure adults had annual health care expenditures $1,834 higher than food secure adults.  Food insecurity is an economic and social condition where one’s consistent access to food is limited or uncertain. Food insecurity is not hunger  – hunger is a physiological feeling. Food insecurity is a complex problem and does not exist in isolation for low-income families. Many food-insecure families also struggle with issues resulting from structural biases, lack of affordable housing, high medical costs and low wages.  The Black and Hispanic households are hit hardest – experiencing food insecurity at a rate twice that of white households.  Households with children, particularly those with children ages 0-5, and households headed by single women also experience food insecurity at a higher rate than those without children and with multiple adults respectfully.  

Factors contributing to food insecurity and inconsistent access to food can include lack of grocery stores in the part of town (or nearby) in which you live, lack of transportation, and lack of financial resources. Individuals living in food insecure homes can have anxiety about food as eating patterns can be irregular due to inconsistent access to food. When women are pregnant, food insecurity can cause a myriad of health problems from iron deficiency to gestational diabetes and low birthweight.