Championing Food Access for Better Health
As the most commonly reported unmet social need, food security hits close to home, impacting every community in our nation. That’s why Anthem is leading the way to expand access to nutritious foods and improve health.
Watch the video to learn more about the link between food and health and what Anthem is doing to make nutritious food more accessible.
Food insecurity isn’t an isolated or far-off problem—it’s close to home.
Food security is the most commonly reported unmet social need in the United States. That means people you know—your neighbors, coworkers, and friends—could be facing food insecurity. You might even be surprised to find out that your community houses food deserts where it’s difficult to buy healthy, affordable food.
To see how food insecurity is impacting your community
Consistent access to nutritious food is an essential part of maintaining good health.
Yet an estimated 54 million Americans will face food insecurity this year. That’s why we have made a company-wide commitment to combat food insecurity. Read the infographic to see how we, alongside our 70,000+ dedicated Anthem associates, are working to make nutritious food more accessible in the communities we serve.
Tackling Food Insecurity for Better Health
Food and Health Perspectives SEE ALL STORIES
Diet quality and food security are affected by home food procurement during COVID-19
News-Medical, 05-27-2021
Home food procurement (HFP), including fishing, gardening, hunting, foraging, backyard livestock, and canning, have been important ways for people to obtain food historically. Research shows that some HFP activities such as gardening have recently increased, while others such as hunting have decreased in the US.
Mutual Aid May Be Last Year’s Most Enduring Legacy
Eater, 05-27-2021
How mutual aid efforts — like Minneapolis’s Southside Food Share and Phillips Community Free Store — are combating food insecurity on their own terms.
Educational intervention may help patients with food insecurity, CKD reduce sodium intake
Healio, 05-07-2021
After attending classes led by a nurse practitioner, patients with chronic kidney disease – 89% of whom were food insecure – showed improved knowledge on disease management, specifically as it relates to sodium intake and hypertension.
Study: Food banks should be used more consistently to better address food insecurity, health issues
News-Medical, 04-21-2021
Food banks should be used more consistently rather than only during emergencies to better address food insecurity and related health issues, a joint study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and economists at the University of Dallas shows.
Biden administration to launch largest summer food program in U.S. history
NBC News, 04-26-2021
The plan will provide up to 34 million kids about $375 each to buy food for the roughly 10 weeks they are out of school in the summer.
Hunger in America drops to lowest point in the pandemic
Yahoo! Money, 04-07-2021
The nation’s hunger crisis is finally abating, according to new government data, with the number of Americans experiencing food insecurity dropping to its lowest level since the pandemic began.
How the pandemic worsened food insecurity among college students
The Boston Globe, 04-08-2021
Researchers estimate half of the students at typical community colleges don’t get enough to eat, or enough healthy meals. These schools are working to help.
US hunger crisis persists, especially for kids, older adults
Associated Press, 04-01-2021
America is starting to claw its way out of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, but food insecurity persists, especially for children and older adults.
New York City Is Reopening but Many Families Still Turn to Food Pantries
The Wall Street Journal, 04-01-2021
Economic strain caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will likely leave an estimated 1.4 million New York City residents struggling to afford adequate food this year, according to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks.