Introduction

Food, alongside shelter and clothing, is one of the three items that are critical for human survival. Food accessibility or security is defined as social, physical and economic access to nutritious, adequate and safe food that satisfies the dietary needs for a healthy and active life at all times. As such, inadequate or lack of access to food has severe consequences on human health as well as the political and economic stability of the society or nation. This essay examines how my daily life and that of the immediate community in Reno, Nevada would be affected if food became inaccessible.

Effects of Food Inaccessibility on My Day-To-Day Life

Lack of access to food would have significant effects on my day-to-day life as I would be too weak to carry out my duties and responsibilities. For instance, without food, I would not be able to attend classes or participate in other school-related activities. It would also negatively affect my immunity which would make me vulnerable to illnesses and infections. Lack of access would also affect my physical growth as well as hamper my ability to develop cognitive abilities.

Effects of Food Inaccessibility on the Immediate Community

In case food became inaccessible, the children in the community would become malnourished, vulnerable and too weak to fight some of the common childhood diseases such as measles, diarrhea, kwashiorkor and other respiratory infections (Food Research and Action Center, 2017). Lack of access to food would also result in health problems for children as it may negatively affect their ability to participate in school and other extra-curricular activities actively. Food Inaccessibility would also lead to many social and behavioral issues among children and adolescents in the Nevada community. These include truancy, aggression, hyperactivity, bullying, mood swings as well as anxiety. On their part, adults would also experience adverse effects of food inaccessibility and malnutrition, and as a consequence of malnutrition, may result in higher mortality, decreased immunity, shorter life expectancy, feelings of powerlessness, depression and anxiety (Food Research and Action Center, 2017; Fawole, Ilbasmis & Ozkan, 2015).  This would affect their productivity which would, in turn, lead to a decrease in income earnings. Also, lack of access to sufficient and nutritious food would cause delayed maturity in young adults besides affecting their cognitive abilities, diminishing their learning capacity, resistance to illnesses and infections and lowered energy levels. Lastly, lack of access to food in the Reno, Nevada community would lead to political instability. This is because of the frustrations of food-insecure individuals would easily cause demonstrations and riots. Food-insecure people may also start experiencing feelings of alienation, irritation, pessimism, anger and disorientation with the local authorities or the federal government that would cause social unrest in the region. Due to a preoccupation with gaining access to food, household dynamics would also be negatively impacted.

Conclusion

The problem of lack of access to food is a serious threat to every society in the world that poses not only a threat to the society’s welfare but also the political and economic stability of a nation. There are several reasons why food would become inaccessible. These include the lack of infrastructures such as roads and storage facilities and poor agricultural policies. As this essay has discussed, the lack of access to food would have adverse effects on the Nevada community.

References

Fawole, W., Ilbasmis, E., & Ozkan, B. (2015). Food Insecurity in Africa in Terms of Causes,

Effects, and Solutions: A Case Study of Nigeria. Paper Presented at the 2nd International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Environment.

Food Research and Action Center. (2017). Hunger and Health: The Impact of Poverty, Food

Insecurity, and Poor Nutrition on Health and Well-being. Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://frac.org/research/resource-library/hunger-health-impact-poverty-food-insecurity-poor-nutrition-health-well&ved=2ahUKEwjWlb31ga_gAhVMA2MBHddUDRgQFjAKegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0ss6PwosyURr3YAnZH4Wjg

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