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Food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty are deeply interrelated phenomena

It would be incorrect, however, to assume that food insecurity problems are limited exclusively to the developing world. Food insecurity and deficiencies of essential nutrients such as iron are widespread among the poorest segments of the population in many affluent countries. As described in the chapter on obesity in this book, in developed countries, food insecurity often leads resource-constrained households to feed their families cheap, calorie-dense fast foods instead of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy, which are typically much more expensive. As a result, food insecure households in the developed world often have poor quality diets containing high levels of saturated fat, refined sugar and salt, which lead to severe problems of overweight and obesity not only in adults but also in children. Obesity and overweight lead to stigma and social problems, and more importantly, they are the most significant risk factors for a series of health problems including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Food insecurity and malnutrition are not just problems of poor countries; governments throughout the world need to find appropriate solutions to protect the food security and nutrition of their population.