Food insecurity leaves its mark long after the crisis has passed, and for many families in America, it can have devastating consequences. When Priya Fielding-Singh, author of How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America, was 13 years old, her foster sibling Carla came to live with her family. For the first time, she experienced stability and reliable access to food, but scarcity had already left its mark.
Carla's experience is not unique. Millions of families across the US rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits (SNAP) to put food on the table. However, this month, millions have seen their SNAP benefits lapse or be significantly reduced, leaving them with immense uncertainty about how they will make ends meet.
While the immediate impacts of these reductions are severe, the longer-term consequences are just as damaging. Research has shown that even brief disruptions to food access can cast long shadows, leading to increased risk of premature delivery and low birth weight in pregnant women. For infants, early hunger can alter their bodies' stress regulation and energy storage mechanisms, raising the likelihood of chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension later in life.
For children who grow up with food insecurity, the consequences are physical and psychological. They are more likely to struggle in school, experience developmental delays, and face higher rates of anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges that can persist into adulthood. Parents facing hunger report sharply higher rates of depression and anxiety, and these experiences often reshape families' relationships with food for years to come.
In fact, mothers who endured deprivation – whether as children or parents – never outran it. They hoarded cans of beans and soup into cupboards, bought extra freezers to store pounds of frozen meat, and prioritized feeding their children over nutrition. While this approach ensured their children ate enough, it often came at the expense of nutritional quality.
Reducing SNAP benefits not only exacerbates hunger but also deepens these nutritional divides. The experience of scarcity leaves lasting emotional and behavioral imprints, making it essential to restore benefits immediately when they are reopened. However, this is just the first step. To prevent similar traumas in the future, Congress must set up an advance appropriation for SNAP, protecting the nation's most effective anti-hunger program from funding freezes.
The sad truth is that hunger will remain a daily reality for millions of families across the US, even once SNAP benefits are fully restored. But by preventing this particular trauma from repeating itself, we can spare the next generation from learning that food today doesn't always mean food tomorrow.
Carla's experience is not unique. Millions of families across the US rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits (SNAP) to put food on the table. However, this month, millions have seen their SNAP benefits lapse or be significantly reduced, leaving them with immense uncertainty about how they will make ends meet.
While the immediate impacts of these reductions are severe, the longer-term consequences are just as damaging. Research has shown that even brief disruptions to food access can cast long shadows, leading to increased risk of premature delivery and low birth weight in pregnant women. For infants, early hunger can alter their bodies' stress regulation and energy storage mechanisms, raising the likelihood of chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension later in life.
For children who grow up with food insecurity, the consequences are physical and psychological. They are more likely to struggle in school, experience developmental delays, and face higher rates of anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges that can persist into adulthood. Parents facing hunger report sharply higher rates of depression and anxiety, and these experiences often reshape families' relationships with food for years to come.
In fact, mothers who endured deprivation – whether as children or parents – never outran it. They hoarded cans of beans and soup into cupboards, bought extra freezers to store pounds of frozen meat, and prioritized feeding their children over nutrition. While this approach ensured their children ate enough, it often came at the expense of nutritional quality.
Reducing SNAP benefits not only exacerbates hunger but also deepens these nutritional divides. The experience of scarcity leaves lasting emotional and behavioral imprints, making it essential to restore benefits immediately when they are reopened. However, this is just the first step. To prevent similar traumas in the future, Congress must set up an advance appropriation for SNAP, protecting the nation's most effective anti-hunger program from funding freezes.
The sad truth is that hunger will remain a daily reality for millions of families across the US, even once SNAP benefits are fully restored. But by preventing this particular trauma from repeating itself, we can spare the next generation from learning that food today doesn't always mean food tomorrow.
like what even is the point of havin a stable income if ur fam can't eat? i'm so down 4 congress 2 step up & give ppl more secuity w/ SNAP benifits we need 2 prioritize food security over politics 
The whole thing about food insecurity is super messed up 
. I mean, you think you've got a handle on things until something like this happens and your whole world is turned upside down 
. I feel for these families who have to go through that every year - it's just not fair 
. And the worst part is, once they're back on their feet, they never really recover from that experience 
. It's like they're stuck in some kind of emotional limbo 
.
. I mean, if we can prevent these kinds of traumas from happening in the first place, wouldn't that be a huge step forward? 
We can't just keep piling it on people and expecting them to bounce back 
. We've got to find ways to support them and give them the resources they need to thrive 
.
Can we not just set aside some money for these families who are already struggling to make ends meet? 
It seems like common sense to me, but I guess when you're dealing with politics, that's a whole different story 
.
. Reducing these benefits is like kicking someone when they're already down 
. It's not like they'll magically find another way to feed their families 
. The emotional toll of hunger is real, and it stays with you long after the food runs out 
. We need to prioritize our most vulnerable citizens and ensure that these benefits are restored ASAP 
.
. We should be focusing on ways to prevent these traumas from happening again in the first place 
, like setting up an advance appropriation for SNAP so that families don't have to worry about their benefits being frozen 
️.
who grow up with hunger pangs. It's like their brain is already wired to stress about food 
. And let's not forget the parents 
- they're already dealing with depression and anxiety, so reducing SNAP benefits just makes things worse 
, 'cause hunger shouldn't be a daily struggle 
. It's like, we're so caught up in our own lives that we forget what it's really like to struggle to make ends meet. We need to do better, you know? 
. This isn't just a crisis, it's a systemic problem that we need to address once and for all 
. It's heartbreaking to think that even brief disruptions to food access can have such long-lasting effects on their health and wellbeing 
. I mean, imagine having to choose between putting groceries in your pantry vs paying rent 
... it's a constant stress that families shouldn't have to face. The fact that mothers who grew up with hunger often prioritize feeding their kids over nutrition is just devastating 
. And let's be real, Congress can't keep putting their trusty old "snap back" button on repeat 