The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service recently reported that49 millionAmericans, including nearly 17 million children, are food insecure - which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal.
The new data reinforces recent findings from a research study conducted by Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization, reflecting a dramatic increase in requests for emergency food assistance from food banks across the country.
Feeding America Study Confirms Hunger Crisis
Conducted last September, the Feeding America study shows that its network of food banks experienced an average increase in need of nearly 30 percent in 2008, the year during which this data was collected. While the numbers vary geographically, some food banks are reporting increases of more than 50 percent in requests for emergency food assistance over the year prior.
“It is tragic that so many people in this nation of plenty don’t have access to adequate amounts of nutritious food,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “Although these new numbers are staggering, it should be noted that (they) reflect the state of the nation in 2008. Since then, the economy has significantly weakened, and there are likely many more people struggling with hunger than this report states.”
National socio-economic indicators, including the high unemployment rate and the number of working-poor, would lead one to assume that the number of people facing hunger will continue to rise significantly over the coming year.
The Implications of Food Insecurity
From birth, the intake of vital nutrients is essential to the growth and development of a healthy individual. Good nutrition, particularly in the first three years of life, is important in establishing and maintaining a good foundation that has implications on a child’s future physical and mental health, academic achievement, and economic productivity. Unfortunately, food insecurity is an obstacle that threatens that critical foundation.
In the United States, more than one out of six children lives in a household with food insecurity.
Inadequate Nutrition or Food Insecurity Has Adverse Affects on:
Physical Health: Insufficient nutrition puts children at risk for illness and weakens their immune system. The immature immune systems of young children, ages birth to 5, make them especially vulnerable to nutritional deprivation and as a result, the ability to learn, grow, and fight infections is adversely affected. Research reveals, in comparison to food secure children, children from food insecure families are 90 percent more likely to be in fair or poor health and have 30 percent higher rates of hospitalization. Not only does the lack of sufficient nutrition take a toll on a child’s health but has economic consequences for families as well. The average cost for a single hospitalization for pediatric illness is $11,300.
Behavior and Mental Heath: The lack of adequate nutrition affects the cognitive and behavioral development of children. Child development is the manner in which children attain skills in memory, cognition, language, motor ability, social interaction, behavior and perception.
Children without reliable food are more likely to experience irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating compared to other children. Research has shown that food insecurity was associated with grade repetition, absenteeism, tardiness, anxiety, aggression, poor mathematics scores, psychosocial dysfunction and difficulty with social interaction among 6 to 12 year old children. Food insecurity has also shown to be associated with suicide and depressive disorders among 15 to 16 year old children after controlling for income and other factors.
Child Development: Food insecurity puts children in jeopardy of developmental risk in areas such as speaking, behavior, and movement, which subsequently increases the likelihood of later problems with attention, learning, and social interaction.
School Readiness and Achievement: Children from food insecure households are likely to be behind in their academic development compared to other children which ultimately makes it difficult for them to reach the same level of development as their fellow food secure peers.
Assistance for Vulnerable Children is Available
Fortunately, there are federal nutrition assistance programs available to help low income families with meeting the nutritional needs of their children and protect them from the consequences of malnutrition and under nutrition.
In particular, the following federal programs are focused on meeting food insecurity needs of low income families and children - all of which have shown to improve school performance, attendance, behavior, overall health, quality of calories consumed, rates of immunization, prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency and more:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly named Food Stamp Program)
- Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- School Breakfast Program (SBP)
Clearly, nutrition is not only vital for the growth and development of children but has direct and indirect implications for the education, health, and productivity of our nation as a whole. Of particular concern are children of color who face disproportionately higher rates of poverty, food insecurity, and lower academic achievement.
Nutrition is and will continue to be an important component to the health and prosperity of the country. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that our nation continues to invest in federal nutrition programs, even during times of budget shortfalls and dwindling revenue.
Source:
USDA Food Security in the United States: Key Statistics and Graphics
Stephen Raburn - Stephen Raburn… is a social entrepreneur, father, community galvanizer, activist, lobbyist, writer, lecturer, and champion of ...
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