Do you also find it difficult to eat nutritious food? Let's talk about food insecurity

Many of us have the ability to go to a store or supermarket at any time and get the food we need. But not everyone has the ability to get an easy, nutritious, and good meal that way. This is what we simply call "food insecurity." This can affect each person differently.

What exactly is food insecurity?

To understand this, let's see that there are two main levels to this. The US Department of Agriculture divides this into two parts. Let's adapt it to our country and understand it.

Why do people face this kind of situation?

Food insecurity is not caused by one thing, but by many complex issues that are deeply rooted in society. For some, it may be a temporary problem (for example, when they suddenly lose their job). But for others, it is a cyclical problem that is passed down from generation to generation.

Let's look at some of the main reasons:

• Poverty, low income or unemployment: If your household income is low, you are more likely to face food insecurity. Because when the money you have on hand for essential things like house rent, electricity bills, water bills, children's education expenses, and clothes runs out, there is no money left to set aside for food. Imagine a person who earns money by doing daily wage work, and if it rains, he cannot go to work. He may not have anything to cook at home that day.

• High cost of living: When the prices of goods in the country increase, that is, everything from gas, rice, lentils, to vegetables, it directly affects our food plate. When the prices of bus fares and medicines increase, the money that can be set aside for nutritious meals decreases even more.

• Living in a "Food Desert": This means that there is no easy access to good, nutritious food in the area where you live. Imagine that you live in a very difficult village. There is only a small shop in that village. There are only a few limited items like biscuits, bread, sugar, and tea leaves. To buy fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, you have to travel kilometers to the city. If there is no transportation, the problem is even worse. This situation is also common for people living in urban slums.

• Lack of access to good healthcare: Sometimes the cost of seeing a doctor, getting medicine, and going to the hospital for an illness is so high that you feel like you could have used that money to buy something to eat. As a result, when you spend money on illness, the money you have for food decreases, making the situation worse.

• Social Discrimination: In Sri Lanka, certain groups, such as plantation workers, people from war-torn areas, and people with disabilities, are more vulnerable to food insecurity than others due to economic and social marginalization. This is due to factors such as difficulty finding work, low wages, and housing problems.

Who is most at risk?

Research has found that some groups are more likely to face this situation than others.

• Low-income families and daily wage workers.
• Families with a large number of children.
• Families maintained by a single mother or father (especially families headed by women).
• Elderly people living alone.
• People with disabilities or families with such a member.
• People living in remote, rural or plantation areas.
• People living in urban settlements with poor amenities (such as slums).

What are the health risks of food insecurity?

When we don't get enough nutritious food, it can have a very negative impact on our health.

• Chronic diseases: Low-income, food-insecure adults are more likely to develop non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus , heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer.

• Obesity: This may seem surprising, but it is true. People who are food insecure are more likely to be obese. This is because they have easy access to cheap, low-calorie, starchy foods (e.g., fried foods and fatty snacks). They also tend to go without food for days and eat more than they should on days when they do have food. Obesity can lead to other health problems, such as asthma, diabetes, and depression.

• Impact on children's health: Children who do not receive nutritious food are more likely to get sick more often, take longer to recover from illness, and need to be hospitalized more often. Also, they may have difficulty concentrating on schoolwork , have learning disabilities, and exhibit behavioral problems because they do not receive the nutrients needed for brain development.

• Risks during pregnancy: If a pregnant mother does not receive adequate nutrition, she is more likely to give birth at a young age and have a low birth weight baby . The mother may also develop anemia, and the baby may have birth defects and developmental problems.

What are the solutions to this problem?

Various programs are being implemented at the government and community levels to solve this problem.

• Government Programs: Financial assistance is provided to low-income families through welfare programs like "Samurdhi". Also, the midday meal provided to school children is a very important program implemented to improve the nutrition of children.

• Community Organizations: In our country, religious places like temples, kovils, and churches run programs to provide food to those in need. Also, various community organizations and philanthropists come together to establish "Food Banks" and conduct food distribution programs.

What if you need help or how can you help others?

If you or someone you know needs help:

• Meet the Grama Niladhari (Governor) in your area and find out details about the welfare programs implemented by the government.
• Ask if you can get help in this regard from religious places such as temples, churches, or community organizations in your area.

If you want to help others:

• Contribute to a food donation program in your area. In addition to cash, you can also donate dry, perishable foods such as rice, lentils, sugar, powdered milk, and canned fish .
• Talk to local restaurants and supermarkets and help develop a system to donate discarded but still good quality food to those in need.
• Volunteer your time and effort to a food distribution program, perhaps delivering food parcels to children or the elderly.