Food insecurity and improper nutrition can trap families in a cycle of poverty and hunger. 40% of Americans are one paycheck away from being caught in the cycle, and many struggle for years to escape it. By breaking down the Hunger Cycle, we hope to explore ways of also breaking free from it.
What is the hunger cycle?
A lack of healthy food and proper nutrition can trap households in a cycle that depletes their physical and financial resources.
- When an individual or family becomes food insecure, many times their only option is to buy cheaper foods with low nutritional value. These alternatives are frequently high in fat, salt, sugar, and calories, which have a correlation with chronic diseases and mental distress.
- Concurrently, chronic hunger and malnutrition can negatively impact job and education performance, making it even more difficult to escape poverty. Financial strain adds another layer of stress.
- This diet - and its associated stressors - can lead to costly health conditions, which adds an additional expense to the household.
- This causes even more financial struggles and forces the household to feel heavier food insecurity.
What causes food insecurity, and how to break the hunger cycle?
- One important way to break the cycle: making healthy foods more accessible. Many low-income households are in need of nutrient-rich foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins, all of which are becoming more inaccessible each year.
- Another factor affecting food insecurity is deep-rooted systems of inequity. Hunger is frequently a symptom of poverty, which people of color experience more often than their white counterparts. To fight hunger, we must fight the core cause of it--inequality.
- Extreme food waste is another contributor to the hunger cycle and the depths of food insecurity. In America, 108 billion pounds of safe food go to waste every year. It’s time for a more sustainable, efficient food system. One solution: community fridges, which you can learn more about here.
Did you know about the realities of the hunger cycle in America?
Want to help make food more accessible to those in need? Donate to Nourishing Neighbors today.
(Photo credit: iStock.com/kool99)
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https://borgenproject.org is a great organization with lots of information regarding global poverty and what the US can do! The Borgen Project also has influential and easy ways to get involved!
More equitable distribution of resources would work.
With the Republican refusal to extend the school food supplemental funding with took millions of kids out of nutritional poverty and quality day care facilities so Mom's had time afforded to them to work more steady jobs while their children's health and educational needs were being attended to - they haven directly contributed to the nutritional dessert that effects the health and welfare of working class children. The Reoublican Cartel's allegiance to the conservative wealth elite has and is still contributing to the destruction of this county as the conservative elite continue to get richer and everyone else gets poorer.
Food programs are a good way to reduce hunger in the US. Actually providing the food is a good way to ensure nutritious food choices and prevent financial misuse.
The school lunch program is a great example especially if Congress is going to allow the Supreme Court & states to have laws of forced births by not passing legislation protecting abortion than they best make plans to make sure all children are nutritiously fed.
Bipartisan legislation ‘Keep Kids Fed Act’ extends $33B in waivers provided by the pandemic school meal program through the summer, supply chain flexibilities, and increased federal reimbursements for school through 9-30-22 but not the 2022-23 school year. USDA can extended flexibilities but only congress can authorize qualifications to participate.
Issues to resolve for the full-time program (differences in pre-pandemic & pandemic programs)
(1) govt reimbursement of schools per meal at higher than pre-pandemic levels, but less than the pandemic original waivers due to 1/3 rd of schools experiencing supply chain shortages & higher prices
(2) qualification of 185% of the poverty level or below for free meals
(3) reduced price meals versus only free & full price like pre-pandemic
(4) free meals for all like during the pandemic
(5) served in congregate settings (school or park)
(6) 50% of kids need to qualify for free or reduced price to have a school lunch program in a school
(7) flexibility in food options for supply chain disruptions due to availability or price
(8) adjustment for differences in regional cost of living
(9) Congressional delay jeopardizes implementation making it difficult to add new students, lower cutoff eliminates many, both of which make it difficult to meet the 50% requirement to operate the program.
(10) Still no solution after 9-30-22 extension
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/2022-23-parent-faqs
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/flexibilies-summer-22-sy-22-23
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106760802/school-meal-waivers-passes-house-june-30-deadline-senate
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/congress-approves-free-student-meal-extension-through-summer
I thought when the government subsidized the school lunch program, making free meals for all kids. That was not only great but exceptional. To many kids of all statuses go without proper meals. I donate to our local food bank, hoping it helps someone. I feel they know better than I how to help kids and parents with a nutritional meal. I used to be a Republic, my attitude was thanks Uncke Sam, but I just a soon do it myself. Then if I need help, I will ask. But this is no longer a Republican Party. It is a party who can tear apart our country first. We are a country on one party. Democrats have always want to lead people by the hand and supply them with everything. Even those who do not work to help themselves. Taking away the free school lunch program is shameful. If we can provide free food for our prison system, we damn sure can provide free school lunch programs.
We are one of the greatest countries in the World. This should not happen EVER but the cold reality is, it happens every day in America.
With the influx of immigrants who are being treated better than our own, this administration should be ashamed of themselves.