Measures of Food Insecurity at the Household Level

Food insecurity and hunger have traditionally been measured by aggregate food supplies or by variables correlated with food insecurity. Because these measures often poorly reflect individuals' true deprivation, economists have turned to surveys with direct questions about food insecurity. This chapter proposes food insecurity measures - along the lines of the well established poverty measures - which allow us to reflect on the depth and severity, in addition to the incidence of food insecurity. Along with giving a richer picture of food insecurity in the US, these measures demonstrate that the ordering of various demographic categories differs depends on the choice of measure.