Combating Food Insecurity
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Author
Hollowell, Christine
Date
2018
Degree
Master of Healthcare Administration
Abstract
Food insecurity is an ongoing public health concern in the United States. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food
insecurity contributes to chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia among low-income populations who struggle to maintain adequate household food supplies throughout each month. Food insecurity also contributes to obesity, as food insecure households routinely utilize energy-dense foods which are high in calories, fats, added sugar, and sodium to stretch the household food budget. The Healthy People 2020 Objective includes food security as one of the key determinants of health as related to Economic Stability. The scope of this discourse is to identify community residents who are at-risk for food insecurity and to create a safety net for those residents that will meet the Healthy People 2020 Objective.