We know that nutrition and health are related, but why is this of particular concern for families struggling with hunger? Is it true that food-insecure individuals have a higher risk of diabetes? Are there any solutions that don’t cost billions of dollars – or require an act of Congress?

Join MomsRising and Feeding America on July 17th at 4pm ET by phone for an interactive Virtual Town Hall that tackles these questions head on. Hear the latest research on the relationship between hunger and diet-related disease. Learn about promising interventions that have the benefit of being high-impact and low-cost. Find out how your community can implement similar strategies today.

During the call, we'll have a live Q&A where YOU can ask a question of our esteemed panel! Sign up now to be a part of this exciting conversation: www.feedingamerica.org/townhall

Panel:
Hilary Seligman, MD, Univeristy of California San Francisco, Center for Vulnerable Populations

Marydale DeBor, JD, Fresh Advantage LLC, Founder and Managing Director
David Just, PhD, Cornell University, Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs


Did You Know:

• As food insecurity increases at the end of the month, so do hospitalizations among low-income individuals. Dr. Seligman’s research found a 27 percent increase in hospitalizations for hypoglycemia among low-income individuals during the last week of the month. This increased hypoglycemia among diabetics may be attributed to the exhaustion of SNAP benefits and may correlate with increased food pantry visits at the end of the month.
   
• How nutritional choices are presented influences eating behavior, but restricting choice can actually backfire. Telling people they cannot drink large sodas may prompt them to resist and drink more soda because their freedom was restricted. A more effective strategy to encourage healthy eating is to be purposeful about how we frame nutritional choices. For example, Dr. Just’s research found that people typically eat all of something labeled regular size but will eat about 75 percent of something called a double portion – even if it’s the same serving size.
   
• Switching to healthy food service operations can reduce hospital readmission rates, and screening for food insecurity helps connect patients with proper care. Nutrition is an important element of the continuum of care. Providing healthy food in health care settings reduces relapse and readmission rates to hospitals. But providing nutritious food during a hospital visit isn’t enough for families who struggle to obtain enough food at home. Screening for food insecurity allows health care providers to connect households with assistance and better manage diet-related disease.

Learn how you and your community can become part of the solution. Register now! www.feedingamerica.org/townhall