For most Americans, the word poverty means insufficient access to housing, clothing, and nutritious foods that meet their needs for a healthy life. A consequence of poverty is low socio-economic status which leads to exposure to poor diet. Since food and nutrition choices are influenced by income, poverty and nutrition go hand in hand. Many important factors threaten the nutritional status of poor people. The main factor is not having enough money to buy food of good quality and quantity. Not having enough money can have a profound impact on the diets of low-income people. Limited financial resources can force low-income people to make difficult decisions about the type and amount of food to purchase. Limited financial resources often lead to food insecurity. According to Gundersen, Waxman, Engelhard, and Brown (2011), food insecurity is the lack of access to healthy quantity or quality of food. Poverty is considered the main cause of food insecurity. A household's food security depends on access to food. America has access to good quality, healthy food. However, a family too poor to buy them does not benefit from food security. Rosenbaum and Neuberger (2005) report that each year the number of people using government food assistance programs increases. “Food stamps are intended for those who most need help purchasing food… [and] help reduce the extent and severity of poverty (Rosenbaum and Neuberger 2005).” Gundersen, Waxman, Engelhard, and Brown (2010) found in their study reveals that 50 million people (including 17 million children) were food insecure in 2010. Poverty and food insecurity affect the lives of billions of people around the world and millions of people in the United States. More than two billion pe...... middle of paper ......physical activity. Children's Trends 2 (3): 1-9. Retrieved from http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends_2011_07_25_ECH_HealthyEating.pdf Powell, LM, Slater, S., Mirtcheva, D., Bao, Y., & Chaloupka, FJ (2007). Food store availability and neighborhood characteristics in the United States. Preventive Medicine, 44, 189-195. Rosenbaum, D. & Neuberger, Z. (August 17, 2005). Food and nutrition programs: reducing hunger and strengthening nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=510United Nations Children's Fund. (2012). Nutrition – What is the role of nutrition? Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_role.htmlU.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (December 2010). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, 7th edition, retrieved from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuideli