The Worsening Problem of Food Insecurity

November 30, 2023, Paper: "The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released its annual report on food security. It found that 17 million households (or 12.8%) experienced food insecurity in 2022. This estimate is up from 13.5 million households (or 10.2%) in 2021 and interrupts a decade of steadily decreasing levels of food insecurity.1 Food insecurity, defined as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food,” is associated with a host of negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, increased risk of birth defects, greater risk of cognitive problems, and mental illness.2 Health care expenditures related to food insecurity are estimated to total $53 billion annually."