Health Options Alan Titchenal  & Joannie Dobbs                   Wednesday, November 11, 1998

Many in isle face food shortage

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away. Wonderful foods abound in every market. And although our thoughts may focus on the holiday abundance, it is important to remember that 8 to 12 percent of the population in Hawaii do not have the resources to enjoy the season.

These people are likely to be hungry or need to rely on only a few foods to make ends meet. This year may be worse than others. According to Jim Baldwin, director of the Hawaii Foodbank, canned good donations that usually last until the first of the year are “already down to nothing.”

Webster's dictionary (1963) defines hunger as:

•  A craving or urgent need

for food or a specific nutrient.

•  An uneasy sensation

occasioned by the lack of food; and

•  A weakened condition

brought about by prolonged lack of food.

While these definitions still

hold true today, the social

phenomenon of hunger

experienced across the United

States is now more broadly defined

in terms of food and nutrition

security. The U.S. Department of

Agriculture and American Dietetic

Association define food security as

“access by all people, at all times

to sufficient food for an active and

healthy life.”

At a minimum this includes

adequate quantities of readily

available nutritious foods that are

safe from contamination, socially

acceptable and culturally

appropriate. Nutrition security

requires access to foods that

enhance health and decrease the

risk of disease.

For many people on Oahu , food insecurity means running out of food toward the end of the month and lowering pride to search for help. Food insecurity is known to decrease the ability to concentrate and to increase levels of depression, aggression and anxiety. Poor nutrition also increases susceptibility to disease resulting in unnecessary medical expenses.

Obviously, food security is critical for the welfare of the whole community. Community food in­security affects all of us. Assuring community food security can only be accomplished over the long run. Joda Derrickson, a nutrition specialist at the University of Hawaii , indicates that long-term community food security is likely to require four things:

1) Adequate amounts of

safe and nutritious foods

2) Income adequate to assure that food is affordable

3) Healthful foods that are accessible to all; and

4) Availability of educa­tion and training for adequate pay­ing jobs

We have adequate amounts of

food in the islands, but it is

generally expensive and often not

the best choice to nourish our

bodies. Have you ever noticed that

a candy bar is less expensive than

nutrient dense foods such as fruits

and vegetables? Thus, effective

programs are needed to assist that

food insecure, and to assist the

food secure in becoming more

nutrition secure.

What can you do to assure the food security for all individuals in Hawaii ?

First, you can start or continue to support your local charitable food providers such as the food banks, pantries and kitchens that lessen the severity of food insecurity in Hawaii .