Food Insecurity

Everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, including Oklahoma women. When access is limited or inconsistent, the resulting mental and physical stress can have broad and harmful effects on health.

Food insecurity increases the risk of many chronic health conditions including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. One study found that food-insecure adults had annual healthcare expenditures nearly $2,500 higher than their food-secure counterparts. 

Consequences of food insecurity extend beyond physical health, as many individuals living in food-insecure homes may develop anxiety about food. Irregular eating habits due to inconsistent access have been shown to fuel depression, disordered eating, and other poor mental health outcomes. 

For pregnant women, lack of nutrients from quality food raises the likelihood of iron deficiency, gestational diabetes, and low birth weight. For adolescent girls in Oklahoma whose brains and bodies are still developing, food insecurity can have lasting effects. Anemia, asthma, obesity, depression and anxiety, and behavioral problems have all been linked to lack of adequate nutrition in children and teens.

Furthermore, it’s difficult to learn while hungry. Children who experience food insecurity have trouble paying attention, miss class more frequently, have lower math and reading scores, and are less likely to graduate high school compared to their peers. According to Hunger Free Oklahoma, the increased illness and decreased academic achievement resulting from hunger costs the state more than $1.4 billion each year.

Food insecurity is closely linked to financial well-being (see Women Experiencing Poverty). Women struggling to make ends meet also struggle to put food on the table. Even those with steady incomes can experience a temporary setback like a job loss, medical emergency, natural disaster, or family crisis, that can make it difficult to feed themselves and their families. 

Lack of reliable transportation, particularly for those living in rural or underserved areas, is a major barrier to food access. The majority of Oklahoma’s counties contain “food deserts”: areas where at least 33% of the population live further than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.

Research from the U.S. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that food insecurity rates for households with children headed by a single mother (30.3%) and for women living alone (14.7%) are particularly high. 

Further, significant racial disparities among Oklahoma homes: Black/African-American Oklahomans experience food insecurity at more than twice the rate of White, non-Hispanic residents. Hispanic families face roughly 7% higher rates than white non-Hispanic folk. 

Food assistance programs like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) address barriers to food access. Currently, more than 684,600 Oklahomans – 17% of the state’s population – rely on SNAP benefits to supplement their family’s monthly food purchases, while WIC serves 72,000 Oklahoma women/children each month. 

The NSLP also plays a huge role in feeding the state’s youth. During the 2024-2025 school year alone, 69% of Oklahoma students qualified for free or reduced price lunch. Strengthening these programs is critical to improving women’s health outcomes in Oklahoma and across the nation.