For my third blog post, I will be writing about a local problem that has had a significant impact in the community. The problem that I have selected for this post is the rising issue of food insecurity. The issue of food insecurity is not just limited to “being hungry”. It is a much broader issue that talks about people’s consistent access to affordable, healthy food. College students should have enough money throughout the week to afford healthy and nutritious food to support an active lifestyle. If they cannot afford the food, there should be resources available to help them actively afford/obtain it. 

Image Provided By SoFresh.

What I am mostly referring to when it comes to the issue of food insecurity is the lack of access to nutritious food across campus. San Diego State University has actually done a pretty great job of making sure people of lower income can afford the food. Despite the food itself at restaurants and markets costing a lot of money, they address the issue pretty well by running yearly campaigns to help raise money for food accessibility. The problem mostly comes from a combination of the lack of nutritious food that they provide to everyday students, and the high pricing previously mentioned for all students. Combining the two leads to an issue where everyday college students are spending too much money on too little nutrients. 

This problem is important to me and other students because it directly affects so many aspects of our life. We rely on good quality food to keep up going throughout the day, so we can keep up with the busy college lifestyle. It’s important for not only students’ physical health, but also their mental and emotional health. Numerous cases link poor diets as a cause for depression and mood swings. This makes it such a big necessity for students to be able to access these healthy food options. Addressing this will improve students’ everyday lives and health, which leads to a more active and productive campus for everyone to enjoy. 

Image Provided By Nature Made.

There has been a lot of public talk about solving this issue, as people recognize the problems that this system could bring. Studies facilitated through top organizations such as the CDC and Cambridge University shows how universities provide little to no support in helping students achieve a healthy and fulfilling diet, and how it is linked to weight gain among students. The main factors of driving this unhealthy lifestyle are cost and convenience: two things that San Diego State University falls short of providing to everyday students.