{"id":105410,"date":"2021-11-30T17:30:27","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T01:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=105410"},"modified":"2021-11-30T17:30:40","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T01:30:40","slug":"report-food-insecurity-a-serious-health-problem-in-la-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2021\/11\/30\/report-food-insecurity-a-serious-health-problem-in-la-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Food insecurity a ‘serious health problem’ in LA County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
[Click image to view the report.]<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>Food insecurity remains a significant public health concern in Los Angeles County and appears to have gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, with communities of color being hit hardest, according to a report released Tuesday from the county health department.<\/p>\n

The report – titled “Food Insecurity in Los Angeles County\/Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic”<\/em><\/a> — examines a wide range of data from 2018 through 2020.\u00a0The county was hit particularly hard economically during the crisis, with the unemployment rate increasing to 19.4% in June 2020, compared to 14.9% in the state and 11.1% nationally.<\/p>\n

“The loss of jobs and associated income contributed to increased levels of food insecurity and deepened existing racial and economic inequities caused by a reduced access to healthy food,” the report says.<\/p>\n

The reports also notes that, while food insecurity — defined as having limited or uncertain access to enough affordable and nutritious food to live an active, healthy life — was trending downward prior to 2020, “deep racial and economic disparities in access to and affordability of healthy food persisted.”<\/p>\n