Editor’s note: This is the third in a series that examines the increase in food insecurity in the four-county area, and the impacts the issue is causing.

Opportunity cost is money or benefits lost by not selecting a particular option during the decision-making process. Opportunity cost is composed of a business’s explicit and implicit costs. Opportunity cost helps businesses understand how one decision over another may affect profitability. In ALICE and poverty level homes, opportunity cost is much more simple: whether to skimp on food in order to pay high winter utility bills. Weighing these decisions can and often does contribute to concerns beyond household budget limitations.

Cambridge University Press, in June, 2022, published a report defining food insecurity as when an individual lacks the financial resources to ensure reliable access to sufficient food to meet their dietary, nutritional and social needs.

In 2023, the University of Toronto reported that Adults living in food-insecure households are more likely to experience infectious diseases, poor oral health, heart diseases, hypertension, arthritis, back problems, and chronic pain, along with other chronic conditions like depression and anxiety disorders.

The previous year, U.S. Hunger reported: “Many families struggle to stretch their food budget from one meal to the next, facing obstacles and added strain to obtain the food necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle.” These findings are not new.

In 2016, ScienceDirect published a study by five researchers who found that mental illness is more common among individuals experiencing food insecurity, among those experiencing food insecurity in socially isolated environments. Individuals reporting food insecurity are at increased risk of mental illness,” the report states.

The Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS), Pittsburgh reported in May, 2022, that hardships, like food insecurity, are known to contribute to poor mental health, and can exacerbate the lack of access to affordable, quality food.

“Hunger not only impacts physical health but also mental health, as prolonged stress can lead to depression, anxiety, and even trauma,” the report states. “Nutrition can also impact mental and emotional health, so if someone is not able to get enough healthy food to eat, this may lead to poor health.”

The Utah Food Bank reported, in May, 2021, that mothers and children, in particular, are at high risk of experiencing traumatic effects on their mental health. Food-insecure mothers have more than two times higher rates of mental health issues than fully food-secure mothers. The odds of behavioral problems among children with food-insecure mothers are double those among children with food-secure mothers. The American Academy of Pediatrics revealed that mothers with school-aged children who face severe hunger are 56% more likely to have PTSD and 53% more likely to have severe depression.

To help families with food insecurity, the Michigan Dept. of Education announced in August that the Michigan School Meals program will continue through the 2024-25 school year.

Children are not alone in experiencing food insecurity. According to a September 2024 USDA report, the 2023 prevalence of food insecurity was statistically significantly higher than the 12.8% (17.0 million) in 2022. The next installment in this series will look at the impact of food insecurity on adults and older adults.