...Food insecurity- (not knowing when or how the next meal will be obtained) is only one facet in the operation a Food Pantry which distributes food to various groups of people of a community. A food pantry or commonly known as a food closet, food shelves or local food bank are non-profit organizations that provide assistance to communities in need. Their main focus is to assist people of various groups to maintain a healthy life. You will be surprised to see the groups within the community affected by food insecurity. Food insecurity, defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways. Children are the number one victims of food insecurity because their family has to make the hard decisions whether to pay bills or to feed their child in a manner that is healthy. On a national average, 15.9 million children suffer from food insecurity. Food insecurity in children can hinder not only their physical health but their state of mind as well. Most children in a food insecurity environment might have a difficult experience in the performance of normal learning objectives in school. Low income families make up a very small percentage of food insecurity’s total population because most low income family has at least one working adult. Most people believe that people living in poverty, the homeless,...
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...because it’s all I could think of, food, when I went to school,” recounted Jahzaire (Strauss). Jahzaire is but one of many children who wind up going to school hungry, and it is negatively impacting their chances of success both in the classroom, and in the real world. In schools,...
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...Historically, food insecurity has been viewed as a matter of famine, hunger, and undernutrition focusing on the lack of food availability. That is no longer the case. Studies consistently show food insecurity to create numerous negative consequences, with the most impact occurring in the form of health issues. According to Dean-Assael and Arias, food insecure households frequently have at least one member in poor health and are forced to choose at times between eating and health care (slide 25). Data compiled by the USDA shows a distinct correlation between food insecurity and obesity. According to the USDA, the states with the three highest rates of food insecurity in the nation are Mississippi at 18.7 percent, Louisiana at 18.3, and Alabama at 18.1 (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2016, p. 20). The most recent figures for obesity rates place those states at second, fifth, and third in the country, respectively (https://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity/).“Household food insecurity has insidious effects on the health and development of young children,...
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...diagnosis done in this paper is for children affected by malnutrition in America. Malnutrition results from a diet which is lacking in nutrients and it affects children most because they are in great need of the right amount of nutrients in their growing years. Malnutrition is also associated with rich diet lacking in nutrients which is the case with many of the developed countries of the world. It is important to maintain health standards in world’s one of the most developed country like America. Malnutrition can result into a number of nutrition disorders which include abundance or deficiency of important nutrients required from food (Water H. R., Penny M. E., R. C., Narro R., Willis J., Caulfield L. E., & Black, 2008). The increased uptake of unhealthy food products is also one of the main reasons of malnutrition. Children aged less than 18 are the main victims of the food irregularities. The data collected in this paper includes the communities of America and according to statistics there are around 16 million children in America who live in food insecurity in recent times. The problem is rarely a concern for adults because they are more aware of their nutrition choices and adult body is developed and not requires a continued supply of nutrients which is the case with children. Children under the age of 5 years are at the greatest risk of developing malnutrition. There are food secure and food insecure states defined based on the findings of the Community health services...
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...There are some terrific organizations out there that continuously raise awareness of the growing problem of hunger in the world. The problem is there are too many people and families who don’t make enough money to support their family and who struggle to even put food on the table. Poverty and hunger seem to be one in the same in America. But, according to FeedAmerica.org, poverty is not the only factor of food insecurity. Even people considered above the poverty line are at risk of hunger also. Research shows that unemployment is a bigger result of food insecurity as opposed to poverty among Americans. So, how should we address the issue of hunger and food insecurity? The first step is creating aware of this epic problem our society...
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...dependence on Food stamps and other government resources to help make ends meet. Unfortunately, that is not always enough. The fight against hunger is not just about being hungry. Lack of proper nutrition is a hindrance to our children. Our children growing up hungry can potentially affect their overall health, education, and adult economic stability. The direct economic impact of hunger and food insecurity in America resulted in Federal expenditures for food assistance programs totaling approximately $103.3 billion in fiscal year 2011. This was an 8 percent increase from the year before. This was also the eleventh consecutive year that food assistance expenses increased and the fifth where they exceeded previous historical record. (Oliveira, 2012) The following graph shows the drastic monetary increase in billions for the SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from 1970 to 2011. The indirect economic impact of hunger and food insecurity in America is shown in many different ways. One very important example is the rising costs of special education. Food insecurity has been shown to have a direct impact on a child’s physical and mental development, school readiness, and academic performance. In 2006 the federal funds for Special Education were $11.46 billion and part of that was directly linked to food insecurity and hunger. (Cook, 2009) In 1989 the Life Sciences Research Office founded the basis for standardized definitions used in estimating food security in...
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...Food insecurity is not a new issue that has been plaguing us for years now, and we have yet to make a complete solution. It has been causing families, adults, and children to go without food for countless days and nights. This is an obvious problem because without the proper amount of nutrition, it’s hard to go about life living healthy and well, especially for children. This major issue has various opinions on what the main source of this problem is, such as parents not feeding their children right, the school not giving the right food to children, and even the children not eating the food they should be, but we believe the economy and government is the most at fault. A lot of the food the children are getting is either not substantial for...
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...‘Food insecurity is primarily a product of a country’s level of development’ Discuss Introduction Food insecurity exists whenever the availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or the ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways is limited or uncertain (www.who.int). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) further defines food security as being built on four pillars; food availability, food access, food utilization and stability. Each of these aspects arguably depends on the development of the country, therefore it can be said that food security is ‘a complex sustainable development issue’ (www.who.int). A country’s level of development takes into consideration factors such as its economic state (GDP etc.), political state, population size, education and technological advances. Each of these factors defining a countries development are crucial is sustaining food security, as a result a correlation can be drawn between food insecurity and development. On the other hand, development levels do not always determine food security of a country. It must be realised that even within developed countries food insecurity is still a problem, especially with widening gaps between the rich and poor. Furthermore external factors, such as war, can hugely disrupt food security in both MEDC’s and LEDC’s. Aid, usually given to food insecure LEDC’s, can also improve a less developed country’s food security, however usually this is not a long term or sustainable...
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...hunger in America,” Robert Egger (2010) links hunger to obesity, malnourishment, economic and national security, as well as wastefulness, jobs and wages. He discusses the myth that hunger is thought to only exist in poor countries and points out the increasing number of American families affected by hunger. Egger (2010) goes on to describe how malnourishment and obesity are linked to hunger due to government subsidies promoting consumption of poor food choices. He focuses on the idea that though many people are getting three meals per day, they are not nutritious meals and are therefore increasing rates of obesity related illnesses and death (Egger, 2010). Egger (2010) concentrates on how the cycle of hunger in children affects learning, which increases school dropout rates, reduces employment rates, thus reducing national economic security while promoting a life of crime. He connects hunger and obesity again by focusing on how a large number of young adults are too obese to join the military, consequently decreasing the number of military eligible citizens and therefore decreasing national security. Through discussion regarding how federal programs provide poor children with meals at school, Egger (2010) describes that single working mothers and the elderly are most likely to have to prioritize other costs and needs over feeding themselves. Finally, Egger (2010) focuses on the success of his own programs, for-profit businesses which utilize excess foods (that would...
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...Could you survive a month in the life of a person who is food insecure? The constant thought of wondering where your next meal will come from. Food insecurity refers to the lack of availability of food and an individual’s access to it. The image of food insecurity and hunger most people have is of individuals living in poor countries like Africa, however that is not accurate. Food insecurity and hunger is a big problem around the world, happening in powerful countries like the United States. In the year 2012, approximately “50 million Americans were food insecure” (A Place at the Table). These individuals live in hunger or fear of starvation, and in severely food insecure households the children experience hunger. These people could be your...
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...Increasing the Efficiency of SNAP According to the latest annual food insecurity estimate from the federal government, fourteen percent of U.S. households lacked access to enough good food at some point last year (Delaney). Food insecurity exists in every county in America. The Do Something Organization stated that, in 2013, 17.5 million households were food insecure. More and more people are relying on food banks and pantries. (“11 facts about hunger in the USA”). It may be surprising to some people that such a problem is happening in the United States; the land of freedom and opportunity. There are many different programs in the USA that try to help decrease food insecurity, however, the most influential program in...
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...Mitchell, director of government relations at Bread for the World, African Americans suffer from some of the highest rates of hunger and poverty in the country as the lack of jobs that pay fair wages, prevents people of color from moving out of poverty and the recession. (“African-Americans Disproportionately,” 2015). There has been a sudden increase in unemployment and a shocking loss of income since the recession. A wide range of economic data taken before the recession shows that the result of the labor market for blacks was far worse than for whites. (“The State of Working Americans,” 2015). More specifically, research states that of the 104 U.S. counties with a majority black population, 92 percent of these counties also record high food insecurity rates. (Workneh, 2013) In 2013, the median income for African-Americans was $24,864, lower than for all Americans and poverty is the contributing factor that affects nearly three out of ten African-Americans or nearly twice the average rate for the general population. (“African-Americans Disproportionately,” 2015). The crisis is increased by the effects of mass incarceration as African-Americans form nearly half of the total prison population in the country. This makes it extremely difficult for one to provide for their families and many are denied access to programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) even while seeking employment. Those who are fortunate to find work, their pay is reduced by as much as 40 percent...
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...Is the Food Stamp Program a Substantial Contribution to Childhood Obesity? Is the Food Stamp Program a Substantial Contribution to Childhood Obesity? Introduction Is the rising rate of childhood obesity within the United States affected by the food stamp program? This is the question that formulated the basis of my research. Looking at the rising statistics of obesity rates within America’s youth and researching why the weight of the United States community is significantly passing those of its surrounding countries. In researching this topic I hope to determine if the food stamp program is in any way responsible for this increasing health issue. As the years progress the health of today’s youth is rapidly decreasing. Although the lacks of exercise and poor food influences serve as a high influence on this issue, researching this topic has shown that the food stamp program has helped contribute to the issue at hand. Presenting Argument and Supportive Research To be classified as an overweight child, the body mass index is in the 85th percentile and the ratio of weight to height is unhealthy (Baun, 2011 p. 623). This number has increased drastically among America’s youth over the past decade. As obesity increases among youth, there is a decrease in physical activity as well as healthy eating habits. Healthy eating choices are the focus of my research, as I concentrate on the eating habits of children participating in America’s Food stamp Program. The heaviest children...
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...covering of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America, and considered as an entity with mutual characteristics, such as poverty, high birth-rates, and economic dependence on the advanced countries. Most typically countries that used to be described as one of the third world countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Philippine, Vietnam, and etcetera. Even in our very “peaceful” and develop country, Malaysia, this pitiful situation also can be seen in several place either in urban area, sub-urban area, or in rural area. Even so, the hunger and poverty is not the issue of that third world country only but it is covering the whole country in the world too. It is indeed one of the serious international issues that have been happening not only in the third world countries but it is happen even in most very developed countries too. When we are talking about hunger, what can be described for that situation? According to the Wikipedia source, hunger is a condition in which a person, for a sustained period, is unable to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs. Most of the people who have to suffering from hunger and starvation is the people or community that mostly have to face the poverty, war, and natural disaster, they are tend to get the food insecurities. So what is the food insecurities? When the people or community does not have the food availability which is no sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis, no food access which is mean they do not have the...
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...Valerie weighs 241 lbs. and contributes her weight gain to eating unhealthy foods. Obesity is a major public health problem in the U.S. While all segments of population are affected, low-income and food insecure people are more vulnerable due to risks associated with poverty. In Valerie’s case that is what happened. Since having the stroke Valerie has lost 70lbs but says it’s a struggle to provide whole nutritious meals if you have only $5.00 and you need to stretch it to feed yourself and 2 children. (Elliot, 2011). Obesity occurs in many households in America due to a lack of resources such as income, affordable foods and opportunity for physical activity. According to Center for Disease Control over the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. More than one-third of Adults and 17% of children in the U.S are obese. Americans find it easier and cheaper to provide filler foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other additives for their family so they can be full. In America 14.5 percent of people are struggling to put food on the table. (Coleman-Jensen, Nord, Andrews & Carlson, 2011). Food insecurity is a condition that exists when people lack sustainable physical or economic access to enough safe, nutritious, and socially acceptable foods for a healthy and productive life. Most families of lower incomes rely on food stamps and their paychecks to provide food for their families.(Institute of Medicine , 2011). A burger...
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