When we talk about healthcare, we usually think of hospitals, medications, and doctors. But what if I told you that one of the most powerful tools for improving public health is a full refrigerator? Food and health are deeply connected, and yet, hunger is often left out of the conversation.
Over the past three decades working in nonprofit leadership and community development, I’ve seen firsthand how food insecurity fuels a public health crisis in our own backyards. It’s not just about empty stomachs—it’s about bodies breaking down from a lack of nutrients, minds clouded by hunger, and communities burdened by preventable illness.
Hunger is not just a social issue. It’s a healthcare issue—and it’s time we started treating it like one.
What Is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity isn’t just about skipping meals. It’s about not having reliable access to enough nutritious food to live a healthy life. It affects people in every state, from cities to rural towns, from children to seniors. And it doesn’t always look like poverty. Sometimes it looks like a single mom working two jobs who still can’t afford fresh produce. Sometimes it’s a senior choosing between medicine and groceries.
Food insecurity is often invisible—but its impact on health is not.
The Physical Toll of Hunger
When the body doesn’t get the right nutrients, it starts to break down. Children who are chronically undernourished may suffer from stunted growth, anemia, and weakened immune systems. They’re more likely to miss school due to illness and fall behind academically.
Adults face an equally grim picture. Food insecurity is closely linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It may seem ironic, but hunger is often tied to obesity. That’s because low-cost, processed foods are typically high in calories but low in nutrients, forcing families to make trade-offs that harm their health over time.
And then there’s the impact on mental health. Constant stress about food leads to anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness. I’ve met parents who regularly skip meals so their children can eat, and the emotional burden they carry is heartbreaking.
Hunger doesn’t just affect bodies—it affects minds and spirits, too.
Healthcare Costs Rise, Outcomes Fall
The link between hunger and poor health doesn’t just hurt individuals—it strains our entire healthcare system. People who are food insecure are more likely to visit emergency rooms, be hospitalized, and suffer complications from otherwise manageable conditions. That means higher healthcare costs for everyone, including taxpayers.
A diabetic patient without access to healthy food may wind up in the ER because they can’t control their blood sugar. A child with asthma may suffer more frequent attacks because their diet lacks anti-inflammatory nutrients. A senior on a fixed income may skip meals to afford medication, weakening their body and leading to a fall or hospitalization.
Hunger drives up costs, clogs our medical systems, and prevents people from living their healthiest lives. It’s an issue we cannot afford to ignore.
Food as Medicine
What if, instead of waiting until people are sick, we helped them stay healthy with better food access?
More and more healthcare providers are beginning to see the value of addressing food insecurity head-on. Some hospitals now screen patients for hunger, just like they would for high blood pressure. Others are partnering with food banks to prescribe healthy meals for patients with chronic conditions.
In fact, one of the most exciting innovations in recent years is the idea of “food pharmacies”—programs that provide fresh produce and staples to patients alongside medical care. It’s a simple idea with profound impact: treat food as part of the healthcare plan.
This approach works. Studies show that when people eat better, they feel better. They take fewer medications, have fewer hospital visits, and report a higher quality of life. Food, quite literally, is medicine.
Solutions That Make Sense
Solving food insecurity is not easy, but it’s possible—and the benefits to public health are enormous.
Here’s what we can do:
- Support Nutrition Assistance Programs – Programs like SNAP, WIC, and free school meals play a vital role in keeping families nourished and healthy. These programs don’t just feed people—they improve health outcomes.
- Integrate Food Access Into Healthcare – Clinics and hospitals can screen for food insecurity and partner with local organizations to connect patients to resources like food banks, meal programs, or grocery delivery.
- Promote Nutrition Education – Teaching people how to shop, cook, and eat on a budget helps maximize limited resources and builds long-term health.
- Invest in Community Infrastructure – Farmers’ markets, community gardens, and mobile food pantries bring healthy food to areas where it’s hard to find.
- Advocate for Policy Change – We need policies that address the root causes of hunger: poverty, lack of affordable housing, and low wages. If we want to improve public health, we must tackle these issues head-on.
A Call to Compassion
As a man of faith, I believe deeply that we are called to care for the whole person—body, mind, and soul. When we fight hunger, we aren’t just feeding stomachs—we’re healing hearts, strengthening families, and building healthier communities.
We can’t treat health in isolation. We can’t ask someone to manage their diabetes if they don’t have food. We can’t expect a child to thrive in school if their body is running on fumes. If we truly want better public health outcomes, we must put hunger at the center of the conversation.
Because a nation where millions go hungry will never be truly healthy.
Let’s fix that—together.