Food Insecurity and Race

Food insecurity, by definition, is “the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.” It is important to note that this definition specifically notes nutritious food; if a household has difficulty accessing healthy meals but is able to afford unhealthy food, then they still qualify as being food insecure. Food insecurity, due to a shortage of money or other resources for food, is most prevalent in major cities, and disproportionately affects immigrant, non-citizen, ethnic minority, and low-income households. This can lead to people choosing cheaper, unhealthy or processed foods, or skipping meals in order to pay for other critical items. The infographic below from the National Institute of Health displays the percentage of households that are considered to have food insecurity, broken down by race.

Clearly, black and hispanic households are subjected to much higher rates of food insecurity than any other ethnic group shown on the graph. It should also be noted that food insecurity rose for all groups during the Great Recession, but it increased most dramatically for the Hispanic population. A study tracking food insecurity from 2001 to 2016 reinforced this notion, revealing that food insecurity rates for non-Hispanic black and Hispanic households were twice as much as that of white households. This food insecurity is intertwined with other determinants of health, especially poverty, unemployment, and incarceration, which are similarly disproportionately high among black and Hispanic groups.

In addition to cancer, food insecure individuals are at much greater risk for health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Food insecure populations also experience more depression, financial strain, and poorer quality of life. This is especially problematic for cancer patients who may be forced to choose between buying food or getting medically necessary treatment for their cancer.

Similarly, these neighborhoods may lack resources to support physical activity such as playgrounds, exercise facilities, and walking paths. Underserved communities are often unable to maintain sports fields and courts, leading to the neglect of youth sports leagues and an inaccessibility to sports resources. Each of these can lead to obesity and poor health in these communities, increasing the risk of developing or dying from cancer.

These racial disparities in regards to diet and exercise are indicative of underlying structural racism and discrimination. This foundational issue has been recognized and steps have been taken to combat it. There have been governmental proposals aiming to make federal food and nutrition safety nets more accessible, as well as attempts to expand financial stability and improve living wage standards. Health care providers have seen more increased training for food security and how it plays into human rights. As our society continues to take steps forward in food policies, I see a greater need for nutritional education. Many aren’t aware of what a balanced diet means, or they don’t know how to find more nutritional options in their local communities. It is also very difficult to interpret nutritional labels on grocery items unless you are well educated on what each ingredient or nutritional category means for your health. By offering free diet education events or hanging up posters and infographics in grocery stores, I think that we can take strides toward reducing food insecurity, and thus cancer diagnoses, for all.

Sarina

Works Cited

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5823283/

https://hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org/understand-food-insecurity/