One in Five American Families Is

Food insecurity is a term used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to describe the situation when the food intake of one or more members of a household is reduced and eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food.

NCCP reports that the incidence of food insecurity has markedly increased in recent years, due largely to the worsening economy. “Households with children appear to be more at risk today of experiencing food insecurity than they were a decade ago,” says Vanessa R. Wight, PhD, the lead author of the NCCP report, “Examining Food Insecurity Among Children in the United States.”

The prevalence of food insecurity among children rose sharply in 2008 to about 11 percent after remaining between 8.0 and 9.5 percent for a decade. “With recent increases in poverty and unemployment, this trend is very sad for America, but not surprising,” says Wight.

The researchers also say that as the recession pushes more families into unemployment, the need for food assistance programs targeting children and families is even more apparent. A number of state- and federally-funded policies exist to address food insecurity and mitigate the effects of poverty on families and children, such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, the Emergency Food Assistance program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.

Among NCCP’s findings: