1. Food insecurity, or limited access to healthy and nutritious food, is a major social determinant of health that affects nearly 50 million Americans.
2. Food insecurity is associated with worse health outcomes such as depression, poor management of chronic diseases, and worse HIV outcomes. It can also negatively impact control of conditions like blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
3. Individual interventions that can help address food insecurity include breastfeeding and community programs that increase access to affordable healthy foods. Addressing food insecurity at both the individual and societal level is important for improving public health.