The Alliance to End Hunger
This umbrella nonprofit group aims to end hunger by encouraging diverse set of organizations to work together to provide relief. Its members include a range of faith and secular organizations, from Bread for the World and the Catholic Relief Services to Meals on Wheels America and Heifer International. Several major food corporations are also members. Contact: Nathan Magrath, spokesman, nmagrath@alliancetoendhunger.org or 202-688-1075.
Food Systems and Public Health Disparities
Roni A. Neff and others, J Hunger Environ Nutr (2009)
The roots of health disparities go deeper than individual choice, nutrition, or price, say the authors of this opinionated review. Disparities in access to healthy food are driven by broad social, economic, and political forces that impact food supply, nutrient quality, and affordability. Environmental and social impacts of food production and processing also contribute to health disparities. “We cannot effectively address food-related health disparities or the ecologic harms of the food system without also working to make access to healthy and more sustainably produced food a right, not a privilege,” the authors conclude.
The art of grocery shopping on a food stamp budget
Kristen Wiiga and Chery Smith, Public Health Nutrition (2009)
The authors interviewed 92 low-income moms about their food shopping and meal planning. “Key findings suggest that their food choices and grocery shopping behaviour were shaped by not only individual and family preferences, but also their economic and environmental situation. Transportation and store accessibility were major determinants of shopping frequency, and they used various strategies to make their food dollars stretch (e.g. shopping based on prices, in-store specials).”
Do healthier foods and diet patterns cost more than less healthy options? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Mayuree Rao, Ashkan Afshin, Gitanjali Singh, and Dariush Mozaffarian, BMJ Open (2013)
Healthy eating costs about $1.50 more per day per adult than eating a low-quality diet ($550 more annually per person), according to this meta-analysis by researchers at Brown University and the Harvard School of Public Health. The extra cost represents a 25 percent increase for a household that spends $6 per person on food each day, which is more than many low-income families spend.
Exhaustion Of Food Budgets At Month’s End And Hospital Admissions For Hypoglycemia
Hilary K. Seligman, Ann F. Bolger, David Guzman, Andrea López and Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo; Health Affairs (2014)
What happens every month when food money runs out? A surge in hospitalizations for hypoglycemia, the authors found. In many households, particularly low-income ones, a “pay cycle” develops in which expenditures increase when money becomes available, and they decrease just before the next check is due – the time when household budgets are most likely to be exhausted. The authors looked at how the pay cycle affects hypoglycemia because they expected it to be highly influenced by reduced food access.
A Systematic Review of Food Deserts, 1966-2007
The U.S. stands out for its “clear evidence” of disparities in food access by income and race, in this systematic review of 49 studies in 5 countries. “Evidence for the existence of food deserts in other high-income nations is weak,” write authors Julie Beaulac, Elizabeth Kristjansson, & Steven Cummins (Prev Chronic Dis, 2009).
Access to Healthy Food and Why it Matters: A Review of the Research
A review of the research on access to healthy food and its impact on individual and community health, with a bibliography of more than 250 up-to-date scientific papers, books and other references. By Judith Bell, Gabriella Mora, Erin Hagan, Victor Rubin, Allison Karpyn, Policy Link & The Food Trust (2013).