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Food insecurity has economic root causes

Nature Food volume 3, pages 555–556 (2022)Cite this article

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To the Editor — Food insecurity is one predictor of ill health. Is food insecurity a consequence of policy decisions? Yes, in a way. Food insecurity has been linked to low wages, adverse social and economic conditions, limited access to healthy foods, residential segregation, lack of affordable housing and multiple indices of neighbourhood disadvantage. Huge racial, ethnic, economic and even geographic disparities in food insecurity were revealed and underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the US Congress has authorized the White House to call a conference on food, nutrition, hunger and health1 to spark a national discussion of the root causes and social determinants of food insecurity, and the deepening socioeconomic divisions in health.

As defined by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)2, food security has two important components. Low food security is defined by reduced quality, variety or desirability of the diet. Not being able to afford balanced meals is one telling sign — but there is little indication of eating less. Very low food security, previously called ‘food insecurity with hunger’, is associated with limited food budgets, skipped meals and calorie-restricted diets. Going hungry or eating less because there wasn’t enough money for food are the telling signs. Very low food security is viewed as a more severe and debilitating condition than uncertain access to nutritious foods.

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References

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  1. Center for Public Health Nutrition, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Adam Drewnowski

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  1. Adam Drewnowski
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Correspondence to Adam Drewnowski.

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A.D. is the originator of the Nutrient Rich Food Index, a nutrient profiling model, and has received grants, contracts and honoraria from organizations, both public and private, with an interest in diet quality and nutrient density of foods.

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Drewnowski, A. Food insecurity has economic root causes. Nat Food 3, 555–556 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00577-w

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