The Negative Effects Of Food Insecurity With Hunger

In 2013 17.5 million households were food insecure, or had trouble providing the food needed because of a lack economic of resources. Of these 17.5 million households that were food insecure, 6.8 million household have very low food security, previously called food insecurity with hunger (Coleman-Jensen, Gregory, & Singh, 2013). Food insecurity has been shown to have a negative effect on a variety of health outcomes. Food insecurity is associated with deficiencies of nutrient rich food, poorer self-reported health, mental health issues, increased rate of chronic disease, cognitive issues for children, and higher rates of obesity (Cook, et al., 2004; Lee & Frongillo, 2001; Martin & Lippert, 2012; Seligman Laraia, & Kushel, 2010; Siefert, Heflin,

One component of informal coping strategies is management of the food supply (Kempson, et al., 2002). Those who use management of food as a coping strategy can eat food that others would deem not preferable in an effort to purchase and consume lower priced items. This could be the consumption of expired food or consuming the edible part of spoiled food (Maxwell, 1996). Further the dilution of items can stretch food making items more cost effective (Kempson, Keenan, Sadani, & Adler, 2003). Households may also shop at value stores, buy in bulk, or shop for sale items to decrease the cost of food (Wilde & Ranney, 2000). Food secure households spend over 30% more on food than food insecure households (Coleman-Jensen, Gregory, & Singh, 2013). Researchers have found that social networks can be an important tool in coping strategies. The use of friends and family or a community allow for borrowing or obtaining food when resources are inadequate (Ahulwalia, Dodds & Baligh, 1998). Another informal coping strategy is the use of emergency food assistance (food pantries or soup kitchens) which differs from the formal nutrition assistance programs. Emergency food assistance are a community based option to increase food available in the home (Daponte & Blade, 2006). Households can also delay payment of other bills or find other forms of illegal income to help mediate the lack of resources

In 2012 15.3% of the aging faced a threat of food insecurity. Further from 2001 to 2012 there was a 44% increase in the aging population experiencing hunger (Ziliak & Gundersen, 2013). In 2008 8.1% of households with an elderly individual living in the residence were food insecure, and 8.8% of the elderly living alone were food insecure (Coleman-Jenson, Nord, Andrews, & Carlson, 2009). The growth in food insecurity for the elderly is troubling as the elderly are already as risk for poor health outcomes, and research has shown food insecurity in the elderly leads to the reduction of nutritionally sufficient diets and poorer health status (Lee & Frongillo, 2001; Stuff, et al., 2004; Ziliak & Gundersen, 2014). Additionally, as the aging often have higher rates of disability it important to note that prior research has found the elderly with disabilities have difficulty having enough money for food, and yet the disabled elderly have low rates of receiving food stamps (Klesges et al.,