March 15 Discussion - Income & Food Connection

Join Burnaby Food First to discuss the links between income & food, find out what exists in our community to decrease food insecurity, and explore solutions to hunger in Burnaby.

To participate, please register on Eventbrite (information below):

Food (Security) for Thought: What's Mental Health Got to Do With It?

October 4 to 10, 2015 is Mental Health Awareness Week!



Held on the first week of October, this campaign focuses attention on mental disorders: signs and symptoms, stigma, how to get help, hope and recovery, and the impact of mental illness on lives, families, workplaces, and society (Source: Canadian Mental Health Association).



Did you know? October 10 is World Mental Health Day!



Some of you may have experienced or know someone who has experienced mental illness. Maybe it was depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's, anorexia, or dementia. Bipolar disorder? Schizophrenia?



Mental illness is more common than many of us might think, but the stigma surrounding it often keeps the conversations silent and can make it difficult to know where to go for help.



What does this have to do with food security?



Food insecurity can be both an outcome and a cause of poor mental health and mental illness. Members of food insecure households tend to have poorer self-rated health, greater stress, and poorer mental and physical health.



Mental illness can impact a person's ability to provide enough food for themselves and their households by making it more difficult to work, maintain relationships with family and friends, and keep a supportive network. Without steady income or social support, food insecurity is more likely to occur.


This relationship between food security and mental illness, however, is not just one way.



A 2012 study found that adolescents who were food insecure in the past year were more likely to experience mental disorders compared to those whose families had reliable access to food. Lack of reliable access to enough food was linked to an increased risk for adolescent mental disorders, even after factoring for the effects of poverty.



People who live in low-income households and poverty conditions are more
likely to experience depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts and have
poorer mental health outcomes. As food security worsens, so does mental
health.



So, Let's Talk



Talking is the best way to start breaking down barriers, halt misconceptions, and end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Learn the facts, help educate others, and take the first step to a better understanding of mental health.



If you are in crisis, please go to your local hospital or call 911 immediately. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, call one of the networks below for support or guidance on seeking help in your area.



Kids Help Phone 1(800) 668-6868



Canadian Mental Health Association (604) 688-3236 (BC Division) or Find your local CMHA



Links



Billingsley, M. (2012). Food insecurity predicts mental health problems in adolescents. (Article)



Canadian Mental Health Association. (n.d.). Awareness Weeks. https://www.cmha.bc.ca/get-informed/events/awareness-weeks



Leung, C. W., Epel, E. S., Willett, W. C., Rimm, E. B., & Laraia, B. A. (2015). Household food insecurity is positively associated with depression among low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants and income-eligible nonparticipants. American Society for Nutrition, 145(3), 622-627. (Link)



McLaughlin, K. A., Green,
J. G., Alegr�a, M., Costello, E. J., Gruber, M. J., Sampson, N. A.,
& Kessler, R. C. (2012). Food insecurity and mental disorders in a
national sample of US adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(12), 1293-1303. (Link)

 

PROOF. (n.d.). Health, nutrition and food insecurity. (Article)

World Federation for Mental Health. http://www.wfmh.org/

Tackling Food Insecurity By Dealing with Food Waste

A few weeks ago on May 21, a new law was unanimously approved in France prohibiting large supermarkets from throwing out food that was not sold. Instead, supermarkets will be mandated to donate any surplus groceries to charities. Food that is unsafe to eat will be donated to farms for agricultural and livestock purposes. The French politician whose grassroots movement led to this law has plans to globalize this campaign.



The financial costs of food wastage in the world are estimated to be substantial amounting to $1 trillion USD each year. The news about this legislation, as reported by the Guardian and other media recently, highlighted the issue of food waste even as food insecurity worldwide persists. (Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization)

Credit: Magnolia Lim

Feeding the 5000 Vancouver

Also in May, the Feeding the 5000 event took place in Vancouver, which aimed to feed 5,000 people using food and produce that is nutritious and good quality even though aesthetically imperfect or close to its 'best before' date. The event highlighted the same issue of food waste. 

In Canada, there are on-going discussions about tax incentives and credits for charitable food donations such as proposals by Food Banks Canada and the National Zero Waste Council founded by Metro Vancouver. Another initiative in the private sector is that of the Loblaws grocery chain, offering discounts of as much as 30 percent for misshapen fruits and vegetables under their 'Naturally Imperfect' no-name brand. 

Such measures to tackle food waste ultimately help to improve economic accessibility of food by making good food more readily available at lower prices or through food banks. Accessibility is an important element of food security as discussed in the previous post that is part of this series.

What We Can Do

Individuals and households can do their bit by reducing food waste in personal consumption and by donating excess food that is good to eat. The David Suzuki Foundation provides some further facts and a handy tip sheet.



Support for and participation in recycling programs is another way. In Metro Vancouver, since January 2015, there has been a ban to dispose of organic waste in garbage destined for landfills. Food waste not only squanders valuable resources but also endangers the environment due to the methane that leftover food emits in landfills.