OGDEN — A first-of-its-kind study in Weber County found that food insecurity in the area has increased since 2018, with children there more likely to suffer from hunger than those throughout the rest of the state. And the situation is only expected to worsen due to the pandemic. Now, nearly 1 in 5 children in the county identifies as food insecure, compared to 1 in 8 statewide. Current projections show that while 15% of residents in the county overall face food insecurity, there will be an increase in food insecurity of 23% for adults and 38% for children there due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the assessment by the Ogden Civic Action Network at Weber State University.