前5 粮食不安全 神话

你认识任何食物不安全的人吗？您可能会感到惊讶，因为粮食不安全的迹象并不总是很明显。

什么是粮食不安全？和饥饿一样吗？

饥饿感是你没吃东西时的感觉。这是一种身体上的不适感，而粮食不安全是一种经济状况。当某人粮食不安全时，这意味着他们没有办法定期获得足够的营养食物。在粮食不安全的家庭中，人们经常不得不在只吃他们能负担得起的东西（通常很便宜和/或营养缺乏）或不吃饭之间做出选择。长期处于粮食不安全状态会对身体、情感、社会和心理健康产生负面影响。

In Silicon Valley — one of the wealthiest regions in the country — food insecurity is near all-time highs and higher than the national average. Right now, 1 in 6 neighbors counts on Second Harvest for nutritious food, and half are kids and seniors.

Helping our community understand the complexities that our neighbors face shines a light on just how hard it is to live in a very high-cost region on low wages, and hopefully increases the empathy we have for the people who are working hard every day to provide for their families.

以下是关于粮食不安全的五个常见神话。

This is one of the most common food insecurity myths, but if it were true, Second Harvest would be providing food to nearly 13,000 people. That's how many residents don't have a permanent place to call home according to the most recent count in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Instead, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley provides food to nearly 500,000 people every month. 

The truth is the vast majority of kids, families and seniors we serve are housed – but after paying for the high cost of housing in Silicon Valley, and managing other fixed costs/bills, many people find that they can’t afford to buy enough nutritious groceries with what’s left over at the end of the month. That’s why most of what Second Harvest provides fresh produce, dairy, grains and pantry staples that our clients can use to create and enjoy balanced, home-cooked meals.

The truth is the high cost of living in Silicon Valley means that even people who are working — sometimes at multiple jobs — can’t always make ends meet. In a recent survey of our clients, the majority of households reported at least one person is working. But nearly 60% of those employed households can’t cover their monthly expenses.

The high costs of essentials like rent, food and childcare already take up a huge portion of the budget for neighbors living on fixed incomes or working hard in important jobs that keep our community running. Now, additional cuts to government benefits will push families who were barely getting by into deeper crisis. When every dollar is already stretched thin, even small reductions in support can have devastating ripple effects.

事实是，你不能总是看到某人什么时候粮食不安全。他们可能在经济上有保障的情况下购买了一辆好车或体面的衣服，但由于最近的失业或改变生活的事件，他们无法为家人买足够的健康食品。有很多原因可以解释为什么某人可能拥有美好的事物但仍然需要食物援助。

With the high cost of living in Silicon Valley, it’s difficult for a lot of hardworking people to pay their bills, let alone save money. In a recent survey of Second Harvest clients, nearly 55% of respondents said they have less than $100 in savings. That means many families are just a paycheck away from a financial disaster. While some people may have purchased “nicer things” when they had more money, hitting unexpectedly tough times can change things overnight – material possessions are not always an indication that people are financially stable.

我们不希望人们在寻求帮助之前等到他们完全失去了一切，但不幸的是，我们的许多客户只有在他们的橱柜空无一物时才会伸出援手。粮食援助可以腾出资金用于住房、账单和其他开支，从而帮助个人和家庭留在家中。

You may think it's not possible for someone to need food assistance if they are overweight. Doesn't that mean they eat too much already? It's easy to understand why this food insecurity myth persists. The truth is it's not uncommon for people who are food insecure to be overweight or even obese.

在一项 12 个州的研究中 of 66,553 adults, those who were food insecure had a 32% greater risk of being obese compared with those who weren't. Food insecurity and obesity have a complicated relationship, and there are a number of reasons why that's true.

Our clients are often juggling multiple jobs, have limited transportation options and are trying to stretch their food dollars to the end of the month any way they can. In a recent survey of Second Harvest clients, nearly 85% of respondents reported the cost of nutritious food makes it hard for them and/or their households to stay healthy. The impact of being economically unstable, a reliance on cheap fast foods and stress-induced hormones can all drive cravings and decisions around food, which can then lead to obesity. 

快餐和廉价零食等低成本食品的糖分、脂肪和卡路里含量往往更高。它们可以暂时填饱你，但不能提供我们身体所需的足够营养，这就是为什么低收入社区倾向于 糖尿病发病率较高 也 高血压和其他健康问题. In fact, in a recent survey of Second Harvest clients, more than 70% of respondents reported that someone in their household has pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure or a heart condition.

We know that nutrition has a critical impact on the long-term health of community members. The supply of nutritious food we source and distribute — such as fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, protein, grains and pantry staples — is crucial to ensuring that all our neighbors have access to foods that support their health and well-being.

Knowing how to prepare and enjoy the food we provide also makes a difference. Our Community Health and Nutrition team, together with our dedicated Health Ambassador volunteers, help ensure that clients and their families feel confident and inspired to turn their groceries into flavorful meals, all while honoring culture, tradition and personal preferences.

这可能是最具破坏性的粮食不安全神话，因为它质疑那些来我们这里为家人寻找食物的人的诚信。事实是，我们更关心那些没有得到足够的营养食物来保持健康但仍然不寻求帮助的人，因为他们害怕寻求支持的社会耻辱和判断。我们多年来进行的调查告诉我们，大多数人即使在需要时也不愿意获得粮食援助。

大多数情况下，我们都知道接受 Second Harvest 食品但有能力购买的人很少，因为我们与来到我们的杂货配送站点的人交谈——担心为孩子提供足够营养食物的妈妈，担心为孩子提供足够营养食物的老年人希望确保他们不会吃太多，以便为其他人留下食物，以及感谢帮助的大学生，因为他们难以支付学校和其他基本必需品的费用。

我们鼓励任何有兴趣了解粮食不安全如何影响我们的社区以及我们正在做些什么来解决这个问题的人 volunteer with us 并认识一些依赖我们的服务来维持获得营养食品和随之而来的所有好处的家庭、老年人和大学生。