From Nourishing News Summer 2009
A food secure child is one that doesn’t have to worry where his or her next meal will come from. A new study shows that Arizona still ranks poorly when it comes to child food security. In fact, Arizona is one of the worst states in the nation (bottom ten) when it comes to food security for families with children—meaning that many struggle to put food on the table.
“Food insecurity is very harmful to the brain architecture of young children because of rapid growth and development,” said John T. Cook, PhD. A long-time child health researcher and advocate, Dr. Cook is an associate professor of pediatrics in Boston University’s School of Medicine. His study, Child Food Insecurity in the US, 2005 – 2007, estimates that during these years there were about 337,000 food insecure children (about 20%) in Arizona. This number has no doubt risen since, however numbers on how much are currently unavailable.
While it’s obvious that taking care of our young should be a top priority, Dr. Cook solidifies for us some of the reasons why:
- Food insecure children have lower achievement and more behavioral problems when they enter school.*
- They have below average learning and academic performance throughout their school years.*
- They are more likely to suffer from negative physical, mental, and social development, growth and health throughout childhood.*
According to Dr. Cook, there are also associations with child obesity. This is a major concern for the food bank. “It’s alarming that children not only don’t have enough food to be healthy, but that food insecure children develop unhealthy eating habits because it costs less to eat poorly,” said Varga Garland, PhD, director of the food bank’s Community Food Resource Center. “The food system makes unhealthy choices the cheapest choices.”
Children seldom choose what they eat. Parents, schools and after-school programs are often the decision makers when it comes to a child’s cuisine. The center helps children access healthy foods in numerous ways:
Education
Probably the most important aspect when it comes to making healthy choices is education. It arms people with the ability to make informed decisions. Nutritious foods are often available for the same cost as low-quality items, but may require some extra work to procure and prepare. Food system education, economic literacy, and nutrition programs are among the ways the resource center works to make sure people can make informed choices.
Advocacy
Qualifying for programs that allow access to high-quality foods is often a big hurdle for our clients. There are several essential programs like food stamps that help families. Each program has its own rules and application process. Food bank advocates make sure that people—especially those new to the system—are aware of available programs that can increase family food security. Often advocates help with the application process and ensure that families have food to tide them over until they are approved.
Food Production & Distribution
The average distance food travels to our plates is 1,500 miles. This is not only an environmental concern, but an economic and nutritional one. As the cost of oil fluctuates, so does the cost of everything we eat. In 2008 when gas prices rose, food prices rose; the price of some staples more than doubled. The resource center combats this and many other issues with local food production, markets, resources for growers and education.
Policy
There are numerous ways to help children at the policy level. In 2006 the state of Arizona mandated the removal of unhealthy snacks for sale in our schools. The mandate doesn’t apply to high schools, but it’s a step in the right direction. The Community Food Bank works with policy makers, organizations like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Activate Tucson to ensure that we are fighting for our children’s health and providing food and programs with their needs in mind.
*Source: Even Very Low Levels of Food Insecurity Found to Harm Children’s Health, Policy Action Brief, John T. Cook. PhD, May 2009, www.childrenshealthwatch.org.
