Addressing food insecurity to help keep communities healthier
In the United States, there are 48 million people who experience food insecurity.1
Food insecurity is a complex condition with many contributing factors, which can include:2
- Unstable income or unemployment
- The high cost of living
- Underserved neighborhoods with limited access to food options
- Systemic inequality
- Availability of reliable transportation
- The cost of managing chronic conditions
A lack of access to food can have broad effects on overall health and well-being, including:
- A risk of developing chronic conditions
- The potential for feelings of anxiety or depression
- The possibility of social isolation3
And for children, the negative impacts may be even greater, as food insecurity is associated with anemia, asthma and cognitive challenges.4
Finding and identifying ways to help make food more accessible is critical to keeping communities healthier.
At UnitedHealthcare, we’re working to help people live healthier lives, in part through initiatives and programs that help provide solutions to food insecurity. A few examples of this work in action are:
- Mobile markets. In Michigan, a grant helped launch the Food Club Mobile Market, which brings healthy food to underserved counties in the state. Fresh produce, dairy products, meats and bakery items are some of the options available.
- Healthy food hubs. A donated van helps the Justin J. Davis Heart Foundation in Virginia streamline distribution of healthy food to two sites in the area where individuals can pick up food at no cost. They also stock community refrigerators that people can visit and take the essentials they need.
- Hybrid grocery stores. The After Market — located in a food desert in Nevada — is 80% retail-based and 20% free food pantry. Profits from the retail portion of the After Market help fund the food that stocks the pantry. Through this model, the After Market is able to make healthy food available in an area where grocery stores are limited, as well as provide food for those in need at no cost. Health Plan of Nevada Medicaid invested $25,000 to support their work.
- School-based markets. Funding to help set up community markets inside school facilities is an innovative approach that helps make it easier for students and their families to access the essentials they need in a convenient location.
By helping to fuel these programs that bring food to areas where it’s needed the most, we can work to help address food insecurity, support improved health outcomes and healthier communities.
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