15 Food Accessibility

Many adverse health outcomes stem from the diverse types of food that people consume in their daily lives. Just as there are healthy foods that have been proven to be beneficial to your body’s well-being, there are just as many food products that hinder the natural processes that your body carries out every single day. Whether it is the amount of food you consume or the quality of food you consume, it all influences your body even if you do not notice an immediate difference. 

Having access to enough food to support an active and healthy lifestyle is called food security. Nutrition insecurity is the ability to have consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being and prevent disease (NIH, 2022). These two definitions affect individuals on all levels all the way from individual households to public health as a whole. Lack of access to healthy and affordable food increases your risk of certain health conditions including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease among other chronic diseases.