By Daniel Ferreira da Silva and Dirce Maria Lobo Marchioni
Food insecurity remains a reality for millions of Brazilians. In 2024, about one in four households in the country experienced some degree of this condition, characterized by insufficient or uncertain access to adequate and healthy food. For those living with diabetes, this reality poses additional challenges, since proper nutrition is a fundamental part of managing the disease. But how can food insecurity affect the care of people with diabetes?
In a recent article in Cadernos de Saúde Pública, we discussed how food insecurity can affect different aspects of diabetes care. The limitations this condition imposes can reduce the variety and quality of one’s diet, making it harder to follow nutritional recommendations. In addition, the financial difficulties that often accompany this condition can force difficult choices, such as deciding between buying food, purchasing medications, or paying for essential expenses like transportation and housing. Thus, food insecurity can compromise not only diet but also other practices important for managing the disease.
Addressing this problem requires actions that go beyond health care services, since the challenges faced by people with diabetes are also related to the social and economic conditions in which they live. In this context, the Food Insecurity Risk Screening (TRIA)—a two-question tool—can help identify families at risk of food insecurity during follow-up visits at health care facilities. However, this identification must be accompanied by concrete measures to support these families. To this end, it is essential to strengthen coordination between health and social assistance services to facilitate access to social safety nets. At the same time, public policies that guarantee regular access to adequate, healthy food are essential to address the conditions that hinder diabetes care. After all, guaranteeing the right to adequate food also means creating conditions that allow people to better care for their health.
Daniel Ferreira: Ph.D. candidate in Public Health Nutrition at the School of Public Health, University of São Paulo (FSP/USP).
Dirce Maria Lobo Marchioni: Full professor in the Department of Nutrition at the School of Public Health, University of São Paulo (FSP/USP), and coordinator of the National Institute of Science and Technology for Combating Hunger.