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Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain access to enough safe, nutritious, and affordable food to support an active and healthy life. It ranges from concerns about running out of food to reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns due to financial or resource constraints.
Food insecurity is associated with poor dietary quality, nutrient deficiencies, chronic disease risk, and adverse mental health outcomes, including increased stress, anxiety, depression, and cognitive difficulties. These effects are influenced by complex interactions among socioeconomic factors, dietary inadequacy, chronic stress, and disruptions to the gut microbiota–brain axis, making food insecurity an important social determinant of nutritional and psychological health.
Author and reviewer
Editorial responsibilityReferences and further reading
- Bateson M, Chevallier C, Johnson EA, Johnson MT, Pickett KE, Nettle D. Does food insecurity cause anxiety and depression? Evidence from the changing cost of living study. PLOS Ment Health. 2025 Jul 16;2(7):e0000320. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000320. PMID: 41661973; PMCID: PMC12798610. View source
How to cite this entry
Aasma Kausar, Msc Applied Psychology. (2026). Food insecurity. In Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology. The Center for Nutritional Psychology.
https://www.nutritional-psychology.org/encyclopedia/food-insecurity/Know a term that belongs in the Encyclopedia?
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