During the fall 2021 semester, I participated in an immersion experience working in the community to identify a global health problem. I spent my time volunteering in a “choice food pantry”, Serve City in Hamilton, OH. Throughout my experience, I had the opportunity to speak with many different members of the community as well as observe what a typical day looked like at Serve City. During my time working in the community, there were a few things that really stood out to me. One of the major problems I noticed was the lack of availability of nutrient-dense foods in the pantry. This was especially evident when it came to fruits and vegetables. Another aspect that stood out to me was the choices people would make with the options they were given. A food pantry that operates in a similar way to a store gives its users the opportunity to make decisions about their food choices rather than accepting whatever is given to them in pre-made packages. After spending time observing in the community it was clear that this had to be affecting the population using this resource. During the literature review the concept of a “food insecurity-obesity paradox” was frequently brought up when researching food availability among those struggling with food security. The food insecurity obesity paradox addresses the fact that food insecurity is generally associated with underconsumption while obesity is associated with overconsumption of food, however, many food insecure individuals are deprived of access to nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables and forced to eat pre-packaged calorie-heavy meals in their place. In order to improve this health issue, it is imperative that the food assistance programs in the U.S. find new ways to create reliable access to nutritious foods for all.
Author: Ashley Hoegler, Public Health and Global Health Studies
Advisors: Kelly Abshire, Microbiology Paul Flaspohler, Psychology
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