Please stop using the words 'food insecure'

[meadowlander]

73. They are describing different things.

Hungry or starving is an immediate continuous condition which is on a trajectory to death.

Food insecurity is a likely future state of hunger. It's about the lack of certainty of having enough food to make it to your next paycheck absent any interventions. You can be food insecure without being hungry or starving at any given moment because maybe you just got paid and have enough for now but may not be able to make it last as long as it needs to. Or you have enough food but only because you relied on food banks. Or you can feed your kids but only because they get free breakfasts and lunches at school. Or you have enough for food but only as long as nothing else ever goes wrong. If your car broke down or you got sick for a week and missed a paycheck you wouldn't have enough money for food. Or you can afford enough calories (potato chips and chocolate) but not nutrient dense food (meats, fruits and vegetables) and there's no affordable grocery store near enough to where you live that you can buy the kinds of foods you really need.

A lot more people are food insecure than are hungry or starving.