University Of Minnesota Study Finds Iraq, Afghan Vets Struggle With Access To Food

Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are far more likely to have trouble getting enough food to eat than the average U.S. citizen.

More than one-fourth of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans don’t have consistent access to sufficient food, says a new study by the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital. That’s almost twice as high as for the rest of the U.S. population.

The study, for the first time, takes a look at the issue of “food security” among the country’s newest veterans — whether they have consistent access to sufficient food for a healthy lifestyle. While the economic and reintegration challenges of some returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been well documented, it’s been unknown how common it might be for them to struggle to get enough to eat.

Rachel Widome, lead author of the study, said she was “absolutely shocked” by the results, part of a larger study of health issues of Iraq and Afghanistan vets. “I didn’t know what to expect,” said Widome, an assistant professor in the U’s Division of Epidemiology and Community Health. “I was really surprised to see that the prevalence of food insecurity was so high.”...