Childhood hunger - "A Silent Epidemic"
Hunger is not an issue that is confined to people who are homeless or unemployed. Hunger can affect people with college educations, people who have jobs, senior citizens, and children. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture more than 49 million Americans do not have dependable consistent access to enough food due to limited money and resources. In a November 2009 report from the U.S.D.A. the number of children living in homes without enough food was 17 million.
During his historic presidential campaign, President Barack Obama declared that one of the goals of his administration was to end childhood hunger in the U.S. by 2015. This goal is a noble one; however, it will be a challenge. Obtaining adequate amounts of food does not completely solve the problem of hunger. Often times, insufficient housing and the high cost of energy can create economic insecurity for families. The ongoing economic recession in the U.S. has only added to the complexity of this intricate issue. If a family has to pay their rent/mortgage and other expenses, sometimes there is an insufficient amount of money to purchase healthy food products.
According to the article written by Goldstein, studies have shown that in households with food shortages children grow at slower rates and have more behavioral problems in school than children in households with sufficient amounts of food. Additionally, babies and younger children in homes where there is food scarcity or slight food shortages are more likely to be hospitalized than young children in households with adequate food resources. “Most people who are hungry are not clinically manifesting what we consider hunger. It doesn’t even affect body weight,” says Mariana Chilton, a Drexel University medical anthropologist who was interviewed by Goldstein. Chilton’s comments describe part of the challenge of combating hunger in America. People facing hunger in the U.S. might not look completely famished compared to hungry people in other parts of the world. Still, hunger in the U.S. appears to be more of a part of several other problems such as economic, energy, and housing challenges.
Facts about Hunger in the United States:
- 1 in 6 Americans do not have access to enough food to sustain a healthy life.
- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, (which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009) includes a $20 billion dollar increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps), as well as funding for food banks and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
- In 2008, 39.8 million people (13.2% of the U.S. population) lived in poverty.
- The national average for U.S. households with food insecurity is 12.2% according to the USDA Household Food Security in the United States 2008 report.
- For more information on hunger in America visit: http://feedingamerica.org/
In my opinion, the goals pertaining to childhood hunger that the Obama administration has set are feasible to attain. It is possible to sufficiently feed all children in America. However, an immensely concerted effort to supply all Americans – children, adults, and senior citizens with enough resources to obtain healthy food products is necessary. This effort would have to involve several groups including: schools, soup kitchens, research institutions, farmers, supermarkets, the federal government, food pantries, faith-based groups, and non-profit organizations. The components are available, but does the collective will and desire exist to feed America’s most vulnerable citizens? In 2015, we should reassess the status of childhood hunger in America to see how much progress has been made.
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