Answer to Question 1
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses a survey that asks household members to answer questions about behaviors related to food availability and access. Depending on the responses, a person is classified as having low or very low food security.
Answer to Question 2
In affluent countries, the consequences of food insecurity are not readily seen because they are not associated with obvious signs of malnutrition. Malnutrition in the U.S. more often the result of poor parental care such as neglect or abuse than the consequence of a true lack of food. Health organizations collect and monitor data on food availability and access to estimate prevalence and incidence of food insecurity in U.S. households.