The Hidden Health Toll of Food Insecurity

Authored By: Lexi Waite

Art By: Melody Huang Food insecurity goes beyond hunger. It limits access to nutritious food and increases the risk of chronic diseases, which is heavily related to public health. The public health sector is growing in importance as it becomes more apparent that a proper approach to healthcare consists of being proactive rather than reactive. By focusing on a variety of factors that play into public health, more preventative measures can be used to stop diseases at their inception. One important public health issue is food insecurity—characterized by being limited economically and socially to acquiring adequate food. In 2020, 13.8 million US families faced food insecurity [1]. Because food insecurity can cause poor nutrition, which increases the risk of chronic disease, it is gaining relevance as a critical issue in the public health sphere.

Food insecurity has been linked to multiple chronic diseases. A USDA study concluded that chronic disease was 18% more likely in food-insecure homes. It affects children’s health as well, since those in food-insecure homes tend to have poorer eating habits that can lead to chronic illness [2]. A second study found that food-insecure individuals are more likely to develop “diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and obstructive airway disease” [3]. There is also a correlation between poverty level and higher predispositions to heart disease and diabetes, such as in southern parts of the United States [4]. Global projections indicate that by 2030, there will be 1.2 billion obese individuals, an issue fueled by malnutrition that is another outcome of food insecurity [5]. Evidence has shown that as food insecurity causes chronic disease to be more common, these diseases increase in severity and are often left untreated until symptoms worsen. Understanding the root causes of food insecurity and developing a plan through public health efforts would be a proactive approach to mitigating these challenges.

Food insecurity is a dynamic issue caused by multiple factors which requires a holistic solution. The most impactful factors are the lack of geographical access to grow and economic means to afford quality food [6]. Efforts have been made to address food insecurity as a public health issue. Potential solutions such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are being implemented in underserved communities [7]. The NSLP has reduced childhood food insecurity by 14% by providing nutritional meals and mitigating associated health problems [8]. Recently, there have been proposed budget cuts to these assistance programs which could potentially “put hundreds of thousands of infants and young children at risk of losing their automatic eligibility for WIC” [9]. Although current systems are in place to protect those who are food insecure, lack of access and budget constraints are posing a threat to the future of these programs. Officials should utilize funds from other programs and departments not currently in use to support these important welfare programs. Continuing to treat food insecurity and the chronic diseases that are associated with it as a public health issue could help reduce the ongoing health risks.

Understanding the root causes of food insecurity allows for public health measures to be used as preventative mechanisms for chronic diseases. While the lack of food availability and poor nutrition can be linked to chronic disease, there are multiple other underlying factors that contribute as well such as income inequality, government policies, and industry decisions, which highlights the vast interconnectedness of health, healthcare, and broader industries in shaping overall well-being.

Works Cited

1. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2022). Food insecurity. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/food-insecurity#:~:text=Food%20insecurity%20is%20defined%20as,possible%20outcome%20of%20food%20insecurity.

2. Functional Medicine. (2024, October 22). How is food access related to chronic disease? The Institute for Functional Medicine. https://www.ifm.org/articles/food-insecurity-chronic-disease.

3. Nagata, J.M. (2019, October 19). Food insecurity and chronic disease in US young adults. Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-019-05317-8.

4. Owen, R. (2025, March 11). Food insecurity is linked to heart disease and diabetes in the United States. Eos. https://eos.org/research-spotlights/food-insecurity-is-linked-to-heart-disease-and-diabetes-in-the-united-states#:~:text=Overall%2C%20he%20found%20that%20higher,as%20those%20with%20higher%20incomes.

5. World Health Organization (2024, July 24). Hunger numbers stubbornly high for three consecutive years as global crises deepen. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/24-07-2024-hunger-numbers-stubbornly-high-for-three-consecutive-years-as-global-crises-deepen--un-report.

6. Poverty USA. (2019). What causes food insecurity and what are solutions to it? Poverty USA.https://www.povertyusa.org/stories/what-causes-food-insecurity-and-what-are-solutions-it.

7. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. (2024, July 3). Food accessibility, insecurity and health outcomes. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/resources/understanding-health-disparities/food-accessibility-insecurity-and-health-outcomes.html

8. Haung, J., Barnidge, E. (2016, February). Low income children’s participation in the national school lunch program and household food insufficiency. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26722983/.

9. Scully, K. (2025, April 4). Proposed cuts to SNAP and Medicaid would negatively affect WIC. Food Research and Action Center. https://frac.org/blog/proposed-cuts-to-snap-and-medicaid-would-negatively-impact-wic.