Extension

 

The terms food security, nutrition security and hunger are often used interchangeably. Although the strategies to address these issues are connected, there are important differences that should be understood.

 

Food security is defined as a household in which all members at all times can access enough food for an active, healthy life. Some households may achieve this by purchasing enough food. Others, however, are considered food secure because they use food pantries, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other food assistance resources.

 

Nutrition security is food quality, and the USDA defines it as all people in a household having regular and equitable access to healthy, safe and affordable foods that are essential to optimal health and well-being.

 

While some households are food secure, they can be nutrition insecure. They have access to enough food to keep them full, but the food lacks the necessary balance of vitamins and minerals required for healthy living.

 

Oklahoma has some of the worst food insecurity statistics in the country. More than 15% of households are food insecure, said Candy Gabel state coordinator for Oklahoma State University Extension’s Community Nutrition Education Programs.

 

“About 15.4 Oklahoma households are food insecure. This places us as one of only seven states that has a food insecurity rate higher than the national average of 13.5%,” she said. “More than 1.2 million Oklahomans live in low-income communities that have low access to nutritious food. While you might think that happens only in rural areas, research indicates over 1 million of them live in urban communities while 187,000 are located in rural areas.”

 

Why is food and nutrition insecurity a concern? Hunger is connected to higher poverty rates and costs Oklahoma more than $1.4 billion each year through increased illness and decreased academic achievement. Food insecurity increases chronic illnesses, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and kidney disease.

Moreover, food-insecure children in Oklahoma are more likely to have lower reading and math scores and increased behavior and social problems. Food insecurity can also impact high school graduation rates.

 

“Food insecurity weakens the labor force, decreases educational attainment, and increases healthcare costs in Oklahoma,” she said. “And while food insecurity and poverty aren’t the same, they are related. Other factors that are associated with the lack of access to adequate, nutritious food include higher unemployment, lower household assets and some demographic characteristics.”

 

Some rural communities are food deserts, meaning a quarter of the town’s population lives more than 10 miles from a grocery store. Those areas may have convenience stores, but the food sold there is typically much more expensive and doesn’t offer the variety needed for a healthy diet. In addition, these areas have fewer charitable food service options than urban areas.

 

Gabel said nearly 80% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants are children, elderly or disabled. In 2023, more than 900,000 Oklahomans relied on SNAP at some point during the year to meet their basic nutritional needs. Senior citizens sometimes have to choose between buying food or paying for medical care and prescriptions. In addition, about two-thirds of Oklahoma public school students participate in the free or reduced-price meal program.

 

“It’s important for citizens to use the donated food/food pantries, private dollars, and state and federal resources to be able to put nutritious food on the table,” she said.

 

“Contact the county OSU Extension office to learn more about the valuable resources available in your area. OSU Extension’s Community Nutrition Education Programs can help empower limited-resource Oklahomans to improve their nutrition to help improve their quality of life.”