Claire Thornton from USA Today asks What makes food insecurity worse? in her article posted Wednesday, December 18th, 2023.
Though it appears that inflation may be improving within the United States, the number of Americans without enough food has been steadily increasing, "as pandemic-era food assistance programs expired in many states," this past year. According to a study, "researchers found a striking one-third" of U.S. citizens experience food insecurity within their lifetime. Following the results of a "nationally representative survey," Americans say the increasing cost of necessary goods; like grocery, gas, and rent; put intense "pressure on people's grocery budgets...[causing] homelessness [as] the second greatest economic concern across the country." The study, "commissioned by the meal-kit company HelloFresh," reports that food insecurity is becoming a larger crisis due to the economy. The pandemic was a large influence on the economical drop, and strain that low-income households felt, "and it just didn't go away...it seems like it's getting worse." The study also found that young Americans, were "twice as likely" to experience what it's like to not have enough to eat than the older generations, as they "[struggle] to get out from under school debt..[likely] working the lowest paying jobs," as that is usually all that is available to them. These financial insecurities affect their meal options as the high-cost of college meal-plans is often a cut-back option in students' budgets. As inflation keeps rising, young people are feeling the effects greater than seniors, as in "people [aged] 18-34, more than 40% have experienced food insecurity...concerned about hunger." While food pantries are a brilliant resource to college students, the demand is up, as "[they] pit something on the shelf and it's gone in 24 hours." Food banks and pantries have also been experiencing "less in financial donations," meaning they could not buy as much food along with the rising costs in grocery stores; vegetables often being "one of the most expensive items for food non-profits." Food insecurity operates on different levels, as maybe someone can purchase a cheap yet non-nutritious meal."Lower quality diets, with less variety," is part of the definition of food insecurity, grabbing the majority of college students down to the description. Fighting the ever-growing problem of food insecurity, also requires fighting the stigma around the title. Many student find shame in asking for help, but food banks try to combat that stigma by permitting a "go home with as much food as they can carry" rule, providing a "quick and easy" resource, "because food shouldn't be a barrier."
Seeing first-hand the exponential growth of inflation over the years has astounded me, and it does not come to me as a surprise that college students are affected the most. I have watched and gawked at the prices of healthy and necessary foods at the store with my Mum, consistently wondering how I could maintain a nutritious diet on my own funds after high school. As someone interested in engineering, I know that my time will be engulfed by school, and studying, limiting my availability for a job, however in this economy I also realize that a job will be necessary to fund my own lifestyle. This article really opens up the struggles of today's youth, and the economical hardships left upon us from past generations. This operation of prioritizing low-expenses over health and quality is a seriously concerning yet crucial practice of budgeting in youth today. Along with inflation, student debts have risen to substantial amounts, as well as the average life expenses. The minimal job opportunities for college and university students provides an almost unlivable income, without financial aid, or serious budgeting costs. Though I know that inflation is an inevitable global crisis, and difficult to control, the government needs to create more support and action towards combating food insecurity, and debt relief in youth today. If our generation enters adulthood, hindered by the financial and physical effects of food insecurity, there will be severe consequences and further implications on the economy. I believe that the most effective and achievable solution today, would be to have more donations to food-banks, especially from wealthy citizens, with secure jobs. providing food-banks with more funds will be drastically effective towards supporting youth with nutritional meals. Along with more funding of food-banks, we must diminish the stigma surrounding food insecurity, and seeking assistance, as it is a substantial problem among youth today.
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