The Cost of Food Insecurity

In the United States, one in every five children is facing food insecurity, meaning that they don’t have consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active life. These children don’t know how much they’ll get to eat when they do, or how long they’ll have to wait for the next meal.

It’s a stressful state of existence for a child. And the impact of food insecurity on families goes deeper than missed meals. The true cost of food insecurity is paid over a lifetime.

Food Insecurity Costs Children Their Education

When children don’t have access to enough nutritious food, they can’t focus in school. The correlation between food and grades is so strong, one study even showed that children’s test scores started to drop when their families’ SNAP benefits ran out each month. As soon as their benefits renewed, their scores improved… only to drop again once food was no longer available.

The long-term consequences of food insecurity on education are predictable. Food-insecure students end up with lower math and reading scores and higher rates of behavioral issues than their well-fed peers.

The true cost of food insecurity on education is revealed long after graduation day. These children are less likely to attain higher education, or to find well-paying jobs that will help them break the cycle of poverty.

Food Insecurity Costs Families Stability

A family struggling to afford enough to eat is a family who is likely struggling to afford other essentials. But with children, food has to take first priority. But making that choice comes with a cost.

Imagine spending your last five dollars on just enough food to feed your kids for one more night. You still need gas in your car so you can get to work. Utilities are due tomorrow. Rent is due by the end of the week. There are no good options: you can miss a bill payment and hope collections doesn’t get involved, or take out a loan – probably high-interest – to keep from falling behind. One unexpected expense, whether it’s a medical emergency, vehicle breakdown, or job loss, can turn a difficult situation impossible.

The cost here is more than financial: it takes a mental and emotional toll.

Food Insecurity Costs Children Their Health

Living with the chronic stress of food insecurity is tied to the behavioral issues that affect children in school. But the health setbacks don’t end there.

According to the CDC, children living in food insecurity experience more acute and chronic health issues, and worse health outcomes overall than food-secure children. Poverty and food insecurity in the United States are closely linked to obesity, which is a form of malnutrition.

Food Insecurity Costs Us All

Hunger causes a ripple effect that spreads outward across communities. It starts when children aren’t able to fully focus or participate in school, and parents who are stretched thin and stressed at work and in their daily lives. No one facing food insecurity has the chance to be at their best, and that affects everyone.

The cost of hunger is high, and right now, children are carrying the cost. But the good news is that child hunger is solvable. Together, we can create a world where children are free to learn, grow, and thrive.