In addition to cost, work schedules limit healthy food options for many ALICE and poverty-level families. Many low-income households work long hours and do not have the time required to shop for and prepare low-cost meals. The USDA acknowledges that the Thrifty Food Plan – the lowest of the federal government’s four family food budgets – requires skill in buying and cooking foods that need a lot of home preparation time with little waste (Hanson, 2008; Leibtag & Kumcu, 2011; AARP, 2015; Drewnowski & Eichelsdoerfer, 2010). Proximity to full-service grocery stores is also a problem. Many low-income neighborhoods have minimal access to fresh food, which makes it hard for ALICE and poverty-level families to cook at home. Nationally, 37.7 percent of adults and adolescents eat less than an average of one fruit or vegetable per day. This may be explained in part by the fact that 30.5 percent of U.S. neighborhoods do not have healthy food retailers within a half-mile (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2013).
Consequences Poorer health: Food insecurity affects health first and foremost, and the health problems that it contributes to have consequences for school performance, work productivity, and levels of chronic stress. Numerous studies have shown associations between food insecurity and the general problems of low energy and poor nutrition, as well as specific adverse health outcomes such as coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. These effects are especially pronounced for children, seniors, and those with existing health problems (FullerThompson & Redmond, 2008; RTI International, 2014; Hickson, Cuba, Weiss, Donofrio, & Cook, 2013; The Aspin Institute, 2016; Feeding America, 2014; Hickson, Cuba, Weiss, Donofrio, & Cook, 2013a; Seligman, Laraia, & Kushel, 2010; Gundersen & Kreider, 2009).
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UNITED WAY ALICE REPORT – THE CONSEQUENCES OF INSUFFICIENT HOUSEHOLD INCOME