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ood insecurity and low nutritional awareness contribute to multiple chronic health conditions in patients across the United States. Some diseases linked to food insecurity include hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, coronary heart failure, and kidney disease, just to name a few. Food insecurity is a persistent, growing issue, as many low-income urban and rural areas have communities with few—if any—choices for healthy options that are within a reasonable distance. When paired with inequitable transportation access, this issue only gets worse.
Stopgap measures to combat food insecurity with community gardens, food trucks, school lunch programs, and mobile health screenings can make meaningful improvements. However, even these programs are hindered by shortages in funding, public interest, and awareness, especially as it pertains to health and food literacy.
This week on the Beacon, we will dissect the issue of food insecurity, the ways it impacts health outcomes in patients over time, and the importance nutritional awareness plays in reducing vulnerabilities, addressing health equity, and driving value-based care.