Hidden in Plain Sight: What Nurses Need to Know About Food Insecurity
Are any of the people you see in your office or clinic “food insecure?” How about the college friends of your children? Or perhaps your own coworker?
Food insecurity is all around us.
The United States Department of Agriculture describes food insecurity as the lack of “consistent, dependable access to adequate food for active, healthy living.” Recent data indicate that food insecurity affects about 13% of U.S. households. In some states, the rate approaches 20%. Certain populations are particularly vulnerable: 27% of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and as many as 37% of college students are food insecure.
Twice monthly, the Muslim Food Pantry in Flint, MI, distributes free food to anyone who needs it. The pantry is run by volunteers and offers food, bottled water, and hygiene products to those with limited or no food or clean water—the latter a result of the […]