Final installment of Vital Perspectives highlights impact of household food-insecurity
Southwestern Public Health is concluding its multi-year Vital Perspectives series by highlighting a key issue affecting many: the health impact of household food-insecurity. Drawing on insights from public health staff, community partners, and individuals with lived experience, this final installment centres on food insecurity being driven by inadequate income – not a lack of access to food.
According to local data, more than one in five households (21.3%) in Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas experienced food insecurity in 2023-2024. This reflects a significant and ongoing challenge tied not to food availability, but to income that falls short of covering basic needs. Household food insecurity is also associated with worse mental health, higher rates of disease and injuries, greater health care utilization and premature mortality.
“Food insecurity is often mistaken for a nutrition or budgeting problem, but the root cause is income that is not able to keep up with average food prices that continue to rise,” says Marcia Van Wylie, Program Manager of the Chronic Disease and Injury team at Southwestern Public Health. “Addressing food insecurity requires solutions that focus on income stability and affordability, ensuring individuals and families have the resources they need to access nutritious food and maintain their health. Meaningful change must focus on aligning income with the true cost of living.”
Vital Perspectives: Food Insecurity is the final of a four‑part storytelling series that began in 2023 to shed light on misunderstood public health topics impacting communities. View each of the four episodes to gain a new perspective on these topics:
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The Opioid Crisis – Explores the local impacts of substance use, centring on lived experience and the importance of compassionate, community‑based responses.
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Climate Change and Health – Examines how a changing climate affects physical and mental health, particularly for people most vulnerable to environmental risks.
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Youth Belonging – Highlights how social connection, inclusion, and a sense of belonging are essential for mental well‑being and overall health.
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Food Insecurity and Income – How rising costs and affordability pressures influence health, reinforcing a core message: affordable food is a health issue.
“The Vital Perspectives series gives our community a deeper understanding of the structural factors that shape public health,” adds Cynthia St. John, Chief Executive Officer at Southwestern Public Health. “It’s clear that meaningful progress is possible when communities, partners, and policy makers work together – and that is the foundation of our work in public health.”
Learn more about how public health supports the health of whole communities at www.swpublichealth.ca.
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