Food Insecurity on the Rise in Los Angeles County

The number of households in Los Angeles County that have problems accessing healthy food increased by 17% to about 500,000 from 2002 to 2005, according to a new county report, the Los Angeles Times reports. By comparison, California and the U.S. have experienced relatively consistent rates of poor people with unreliable access to nutritious food.

The report also indicated that such families are at greater risk for obesity.

Public health officials attribute the increasing rate of food insecurity in the county to a rise in the number of low-wage workers in an area with a high cost of living.

The report is based on results of the 2002-2003 and 2005 county health surveys. Jonathan Fielding, director of the county department of health services, released the report on Friday (Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times, 9/23).