Not All Disabled People Ate Turkey on Thanksgiving

Introduction

The problem of nutrition of disabled people in the USA requires the attention of the authorities and business. Since poor nutrition of disabled people has a negative impact on the state budget and all taxpayers.

Main Item

Nutritional Problems of Disabled People

In November, the United States celebrated Thanksgiving. But it is unlikely that turkey was on the table of all American disabled people. After all, the nutrition of this category of citizens can hardly be called good. Disabled people do not consume the required amount of nutrients. Because their food is of poor quality. Very often these people experience a deficit of any food!

Thus, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey notes;

"Only 42.3%, 11.3%, 63.8%, 47.7%, 48.7%, 9.7%, 48.7%, 90.7%, 21.7% and 4.7% of adults had saturated fat, fiber, cholesterol, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium intakes from food within levels recommended, respectively."(1)

The federal government also notes;

"In 2021, for U.S. households that included an adult out of the labor force because of a disability, 28% were food insecure (low and very low food security). Among U.S. households with an adult age 18-64 who reported a disability but was not out of the labor force because of it, 24% were food insecure. In contrast, 7% of households with adults without disabilities were food insecure in 2021. Households that include at least one adult 65 and over who reported a disability had food insecurity prevalence rates similar to households with adults without disabilities 9%." (2)

Why Is Nutrition for Disabled People Poor?

Poor nutrition and food shortages are the result of well-known problems. The income of disabled people in the United States is less than the income of non-disabled people. However, disabled people are forced to buy food at the same prices as the rest of the population. So in 2022, the average income of a disabled person in the United States was $ 46,887. At the same time, the income of a non-disabled person was $ 55,208.(3) Also, disabled people are less involved in the labor market. At the end of 2023, only 22.5% of disabled people were employed. While the same figure for non-disabled people was 65.8%. (4)

But in addition to these known problems, there are a number of hidden difficulties. For example, it is difficult for disabled people to buy quality food due to poor mobility and uneven development of the food retail market. There is a nationwide study stating that in areas with a large proportion of disabled people, there is a small supply of quality food and fewer catering establishments. Although the cost of services and food in these areas is low. In the same areas where there is a large supply of quality food and many catering establishments, the prices are very high.(5) That is, in any case, disabled people are hindered either by the high cost of food or logistical difficulties in purchasing this food.

But even when people with disabilities can eat the right amount of quality food, the problems do not end. Because people with disabilities experience psychological, physiological, and social difficulties when eating food. These difficulties are divided into three components in a special study:

• Waning Bodies: Assumption of a Diminished Corporality;
• Social Redefinition of Food-Related Spaces;
• Burden, Shame, and Loneliness.(6)

This includes difficulties that only disabled people are familiar with. For example, some patients after chemotherapy feel that food tastes terrible. Other disabled people need special devices to eat food. Some people experience pain while eating, and so on. All this complicates eating and turns this usual action for everyone into torture for disabled people.

The Results of Poor Nutrition for Disabled People

Poor nutrition of disabled people has very big consequences for the whole society. But it all starts with the fact that bad food leads to increasing disability! It turns out to be a vicious circle. Which looks like this, "Food Insecurity - Coping Strategies - Chronic Disease - Healthcare Expenditures - Difficulty Finding Work - Lower Household Income - Spending Tradeoffs". (7)

In other words, people with disabilities are unable to eat well, start eating bad food that is high in calories but low in nutritional value. This food encourages new diseases. Diabetes in particular. As a result, people with disabilities are forced to spend more money on medications and lose their jobs. As a result, food spending is reduced. Then the cycle repeats itself but with worse results. It is a real circle of hell! But it is not only the disabled who lose. The state and all taxpayers lose. Since the budget is forced to increase assistance to the disabled following the decline of their capabilities.

What to Do?

The federal government does a lot for the disabled. On the federal website there is a special section "Disability services"(8) where there are 8 subsections dedicated to helping the disabled. But there is nothing there that would indicate the existence of a special federal program for organizing the nutrition of the disabled. A program that would take into account all the problems listed in the section "Why the nutrition of the disabled is bad" of this article.

So far, no one has paid attention to the absence of such a program. But the number of studies on the problems of nutrition for people with disabilities is increasing. This gives hope that sooner or later an initiative will arise to create a federal program to provide people with disabilities with quality food. It is possible that this will be done not only at the expense of the federal budget. After all, the market for services for people with disabilities can be very profitable. Business has already proven this in practice. Entrepreneurs already have experience in commercializing the protection of ADA standards.(9) If the situation with providing people with disabilities with food develops in the same way, then this is great. When business and federal authorities join forces, turkey will appear on the table of every disabled person on Thanksgiving Day much faster!

Check List

1) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jhn.12274

2) https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=105136

3) https://www.statista.com/statistics/978989/disability-annual-earnings-us/

4) https://www.disabled-world.com/editorials/disability-unemployed.php

5) https://crr.bc.edu/the-relationship-between-disability-insurance-receipt-and-food-insecurity/

6) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7712265/

7) https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2020-06/Map%20the%20Meal%20Gap%202020%20Health_Disability_and%20Food%20Insecurity%20Module.pdf

8) https://www.usa.gov/disability-services

9) https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/accessibility/ada-standards.php

Editorial Insights, Analysis, and Developments

The stark reality of poor nutrition among disabled Americans underscores a pressing need for systemic change. As the data unequivocally shows, the current state of food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies not only exacerbates health issues but also perpetuates a cycle of disability and economic hardship. It is imperative that federal authorities and private sector entities collaborate to develop and implement comprehensive programs tailored to address the unique challenges faced by disabled individuals. By doing so, we can work towards a future where every American, regardless of ability, has access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive. The time for action is now, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind, especially on occasions like Thanksgiving when the importance of a nutritious meal is most palpable - Disabled World (DW).

Author Credentials:
Pavel Kuljuk's articles and poems are published in Australia, North America, and Europe. In recent years, he has been constantly collaborating with Australian Rural & Regional News (Australia), Red Hook Daily Catch and OpEd News (USA), and Disabled World (Canada). Kuliuk's individual publications are in Forbes (Kazakhstan), Rural 21 (Germany), London Loves Business (UK), Karrep (India), RealClearDefense (RCD), Change Links, Daily Caller (USA), and many others. Explore Pavels' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.