November 16, 2009, 5:11 PM ET More Americans face the specter of hunger In the world of food and health, itâs excess that often gets people worked up. But beyond the rising toll of obesity and its related chronic medical conditions is an equally disturbing flip side: A jump in the number of Americans facing the prospect of going hungry. Last year the number of households uncertain of having or unable to afford enough food ballooned 31% to more than 17 million, up from 13 million in 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday. About 14.6% of households fit the USDAâs definition of âfood insecureâ at some point in 2008 compared with 11.1% in 2007. Single parents with children were disproportionately affected, as were black and Hispanic households and those with income below the poverty line ($21,834 for a family of four). Nine states with food insecurity rates above the national average from 2006 through 2008 were clustered in the South. The list includes North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and New Mexico. The North Central states of Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin were among the 11 that had food insecurity rates below the national average. Regionally, rates were lowest in the Northeast at an average 12.8%, and highest in the South, which averaged 15.9%, the report said. As the recession bore down and food costs rose, the number of households with very low food security also jumped last year to 6.7 million households, up from 4.7 million in 2007, according to the USDA. This means at least one family member reduced consumption or otherwise disrupted his normal eating patterns because of lack of funds to buy food. The portion of households that fit this category rose to 5.7% last year from 4.1% in 2007. âAs American families prepare to gather for Thanksgiving, we received an unsettling report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that found that hunger rose significantly last year,â President Obama said in a prepared statement. âThis trend was already painfully clear in many communities across our nation, where food stamp applications are surging and food pantry shelves are emptying.â âHunger is a problem that we can solve together, and I look forward to working with Congress to pass a strong child nutrition bill that will help children get the healthy meals they need to grow and succeed â and help keep America competitive in the decades to come.â http://blogs.marketwatch.com/healthmatters/2009/11/16/more-americans-face-the-specter-of-hunger/
what remains regrettable is these calls keep going unheard.... Depression 2009 brought to you by conservative concepts taken to the extreme....and forced upon everyone during an 8 year period of excess, extreme, stupidity and prejudice... now, what to do to care for the average citizen?, hmmm
Was watching a show on The Science Channel about some guy who was extremely obese... showed what he ate... averaged 33,000 calories per day..
wouldn't doubt seeing a "fat tax" being implemented soon the "rich" need to help the fat people buy their fat food because as they grow they need to eat more---- its not their fault----they are fat osamalisim
my first non-trolling post: 1. I think most of us would like to help the homeless, disabled, poor and downtrotten. I've helped the disabled before, and will give a few coats this year to homeless people (hope they are not the ones that scam and have houses, will have to go with my gut). I don't believe in giving money, but volunteer work is rewarding. But I do it maybe 5 times a year. I have time to do it 100 times a year, but I choose to do other stuff (like now, internet). check craigslist under volunteer and u can usually find one good cause to do. we have it so good that one of our luxuries is simply posting stuff for fun or education. no question there is somebody right now sleeping in the cold for the first time. not good.