In Texas, we face some very serious challenges. Currently, 17.8 percent of Texans are considered food insecure, a rate that is significantly higher than the national average and puts Texas among the top five states for food insecurity. Texas also ranks second in the nation for childhood food insecurity ay 28.2 percent.
Food insecurity may lead to hunger, which over time can lead to malnutrition and other health risks like anemia, impaired development and stunted growth. With a $100 billion agriculture industry hard at work each day, Texas is a powerhouse of productivity, which makes our hunger situation unacceptable and even more troubling.
Surprisingly, food insecurity/hunger has also been associated with the state’s growing obesity problem - due possibly to a tendency for those who are food insecure/hungry to become preoccupied with food which could lead to binging or overeating when food finally becomes available. Studies also correlate prolonged childhood food insecurity/hunger with adult obesity. A recent report shows obesity costs Texas businesses $9.5 billion annually, while the economic loss from children who never reach their full potential due to inadequate nutrition may never be known.
TDA is committed to leveraging existing partnerships and resources to enhance awareness and create cultural change around the way Texans understand and relate to nutrition, health and weight, food insecurity and hunger. With our long term goal of providing Texans with the programs and services that will help them combat special concerns such as obesity, hunger and food insecurity while still allowing individuals the freedom to make their own choices about health. TDA Food and Nutrition is here to help for a time or lifetime.
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