What is Food Insecurity?

• Posted on Hayden
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• on September 10, 2015
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By Mackenzie Findeisen
 

The USDA defines food-insecurity, as a lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs due to lack of financial resources[i]. About 15% of households were food insecure at least some time during 2010.

There are food programs to help families in need, like the U.S. food stamp program, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This program gives families an average of $134 per person per month.

So what does food-insecurity look like in Colorado? 26.9% of Colorado children have lived in food-insecure households. The prevalence of food-insecurity was lowest among White Non-Hispanic children[ii]. To keep it local, Boulder and Broomfield counties are among the lowest prevalence of food-insecurity in the state.

References

[i] Tolliver, Shupe (2012). Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Food Insecurity Contributes to Obesity Among Colorado Children and Pregnant Women. Introduction (1).

[ii] Tollive, Shupe (2012): 3.