Written By: Victoria Davis, Juvenile Mental Health Fellow

In the wake of COVID-19, food insecurity has become a hot topic nationwide, as we see the ever-increasing rise of everyday household items and groceries. From 2019 to 2023, groceries have increased by over 25% and are predicted to continue to rise as inflation and environmental effects challenge the production of our food systems. 

Food is undoubtedly becoming more expensive, but when considering food insecurity, we must ask ourselves what it looks like. Food insecurity, like other issues, is a spectrum where people can experience anything from mild or low food insecurity to severe food insecurity. Then how do we understand where somebody falls within that Spectrum?

This graph from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States (FAO) illustrates the spectrum of food insecurity. We can see that food insecurity has four dominant levels: food security, mild insecurity, moderate insecurity, and severe insecurity. Each level or range has characteristics that help us understand what an individual within that range is likely to experience. The FAO describes moderate and severe food insecurity as:

• Moderate food insecurity has reduced the quality and/or quantity of their food, and they are uncertain about their ability to obtain food due to a lack of money or other resources. 
• Severe food insecurity: having run out of food and, at the most extreme, have gone days without eating. This group of people are those we call the “hungry”. 

Similarly, the USDA describes food insecurity in two ways: 

• Low food security (old label = Food insecurity without hunger): reports of reduced diet quality, variety, or desirability. Little or no indication of reduced food intake.
• Very low food security (old label = Food insecurity with hunger): reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.

What’s important to note is that food insecurity doesn’t necessarily mean “hungry”. Food insecurity without hunger may mean having access to food that may not be nutritionally dense, religiously acceptable,  or culturally familiar. This type of insecurity can negatively impact an individual, depending on their circumstances.

If we consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we know that food security is one of the basic needs that must be met for humans to flourish. So how are youth affected if they do not have stable access to food?

Research finds that food-insecure young adults are more likely to experience mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and suicide ideation. For younger youth, food insecurity is increasingly more likely to cause psychosocial difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and aggression in school. This has even more profound effects if children are food insecure at a young age. The Society in Research for Childhood Development states that food insecurity experienced by children in the first three years of life can be at risk for developmental delays due to inadequate nutrients needed for developing healthy growth that influences brain development and immunity. If food insecurity persists into adolescence, children may be at risk for poorer physical quality of life and more difficulty developing prosocial behaviors, resulting in a higher likelihood of being suspended and having difficulty getting along with others.

Then what can we do to help? 

Development towards inclusive and reachable programs is essential to help youth and their families find nutritionally, culturally, religiously, and individually needed food. 1 in 5 kids (over 13 million children)  in the United States is living with hunger. By strengthening programs like the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, we can reduce food insecurity among low-income children in school. Furthermore, summer meal programs like Meals-to-You can ensure children throughout the US can receive food items even outside of school and in the most rural communities in America. Our continued advocacy and investment in ending hunger experienced among young people is essential to ensuring youth are experiencing positive development, behaviors, and overall well-being.