Nearly 35 per cent of households in the North Bay and Parry Sound regions experienced food insecurity last year, according to new data from Public Health Ontario.
It’s a jump from the 25 per cent of homes facing the issue in 2022, and a sizeable increase from the 15 per cent of households that were struggling to make ends meet in 2020.
“When individuals and families experience food insecurity it means they do not have enough food or regular access to food because of financial constraints,” says Vanessa Hurley, a Public Health Nutritionist with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).
“The experience of food insecurity can range from having concerns about running out of food before there is money to buy more, to being unable to buy nutritious food, to going hungry and skipping meals. In severe cases, people may not eat for whole days because of a lack money for food.”
Health officials say households living with food insecurity are at greater risk of experiencing mental health conditions, chronic diseases, and poor oral health, particularly among children, as they are most vulnerable.
They add addressing household food insecurity requires a community-wide approach to find solutions and guide actions to put more money in people’s pockets.
