Food is the centerpiece of so many of our holiday celebrations, but on an everyday basis roughly 1 million New Jersey residents go hungry. Children, college students, veterans, senior citizens – no group is immune to this gnawing need.

This problem is known as “food insecurity,” which is defined as lacking access to enough food on a consistent basis to lead an active, healthy life. The impact of food insecurity isn’t always obvious, but those of us who work in healthcare see its toll.

We’re not just talking about malnutrition. Food insecurity is linked to a long list of other health conditions including asthma, arthritis, congestive heart failure, diabetes, hepatitis, hypertension, osteoporosis and stroke. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of food insecurity – and in far-reaching ways. These kids are at greater risk of poor performance in school and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

 http://www.njha.com/nurse-talk/2018-nurse-talk-articles/1-million-new-jerseyans-suffer-with-this-condition/