Hunger in America

Who goes hungry in the United States?

• More than 36 million people –14 million of whom are children—experience hunger. (1)
• Nearly 1 in 5 children – 10 million – went hungry in 2000. (2)
• African American households suffered more from hunger than the national average. Some 7.7 million families are worried about food. (3)
• Of the 23.3 million seeking emergency food in 2000 more than one third were children under the age of 18. (4)
• Food banks report that increase in demand forced them to reduce bags of food or turn people away. (5)
• Most people living in poverty have to choose between paying for food or heat (45 %), food or rent (35%), food or medicine (30%). (6)
• One of every four people in a soup kitchen line is a child. (7)

What are the effects of hunger?

• Research shows that even mild under nutrition in young children during critical growth periods can led to reductions in physical growth and affect brain development.  Tufts University, The Links between Nutrition and Cognitive Development of Children, 1998

Source Information:

(1) USDA Economic Research Service Report, Food Insecurity in the U.S. May 2002
(2) USDA Economic Research Service Report, 2002
(3) USDA Economic Research Service Report, 2002
(4) Second Harvest National Report, Hunger in America, 2001.
(5) US Conference of Mayors, Status Report on Hunger, 2001
(6) US Conference of Mayors, 2001
(7) US Census Bureau, Income Poverty and Health Insurance in the U.S., 2005