TABLE 1—

Basic Definitions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Terms

Term	Definition
Hunger	The highly unpleasant sensation elicited by acute or chronic lack of sufficient food.
Malnutrition	The longer-term physiological or cognitive signs of chronically deficient intake of energy or nutrients.
Food insecurity	Inadequate access to reliable sources of food or to resources to obtain food. By this definition, people are considered food insecure even when they have enough but acquired it through food banks, private charity, or means that are socially unacceptable or illegal.
Poverty	The lack of resources to obtain food, clothing, housing, and other necessities of life. In 2017, the United States defined the poverty threshold as $12 488 for an individual and $25 094 for a household of four people (http://bit.ly/2lVcHRn).
Public health consequences of poverty and food insecurity	Children and adolescents: higher risk of low birth weight, short stature, poor oral health, asthma, developmental delays, learning disabilities, behavioral and emotional problems, high-risk behaviors.
	Adults: higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression, disability, poor oral health, reduced life expectancy (http://bit.ly/2kJPzoT).