Nearly 16 million children in this country don’t always have access to the food they need. A growing body of research indicates, the younger they are, the more serious the long-term impact can be, a key concern, making sure the very youngest and pregnant women are getting the proper nutrition.

Two hours South of Harrison, at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Dr. Patrick Casey has been studying the effects of diet on child health for several decades. And, since the ’90s, he’s been pooling his findings with doctors in other parts of the country through the Boston-based group Children’s Health Watch.

Dr. Patrick Casey: “There’s no doubt that food insecurity is associated with poorer general health and well-being, more hospitalizations, lower developmental achievements in preschool children. Iron-deficiency anemia has been found to be more common.”

Click here to watch the entire segment. (Dr. Casey feature begins at 3:27)