Hunger in America jumps 'unprecedented' 46 percent

Hunger in America jumps 'unprecedented' 46 percent

rawstory.com

If there is any indicator of the toll that the Great Recession has taken on the public, it would be the statistics beginning to emerge about hunger in the US.

According to a study from the nation's largest food bank operator, the number of Americans in need of food aid has jumped 46 percent in three years, including a 50 percent jump in the number of children needing food assistance, and a 64 percent increase in hunger in senior citizens' homes.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The study, Hunger in America 2010, found that 37 million people, or roughly one in eight US residents, received food aid in 2009. That's a 46 percent jump from a similar survey carried out in 2006.

I couldn't have thought that such a thing could happen in America. Naturally, the MSM doesn't broadly report on this, but if you would have told me this ten years ago I would have believed it. It's a very sad development.

Here in Europe / the Netherlands the number of families dependent on food banks have grown steadily too. I don't think that many people realize how bad the situation is, but that so many millions of people are dependent on food banks are good indication of how bad the situation actually is and how far we sank.

rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I am honestly not trying to be rude, but doesn’t America have one of the highest obesity rates in the world.....??? How can 46 percent be hungry/starving?

reply to post by Mdv2


I too found these statistics amazing. I hope your thread gets more response than mine did on this subject. www.abovetopsecret.com... Perhaps no one cares that their neighbor may be hungry.

S&F



[edit on 2-2-2010 by whaaa]

reply to post by Mdv2


While there are certainly more people who are in need of assistance and that is something we should all be concerned about, isn't the title of the study misleading?

If folks are getting food at a foodbank, by definition they are eating. To say "hunger" is on the rise (which I have no doubt it is) is misleading. The title leads you to believe or envision a scenario where folks are sitting on the street begging for food and I don't know where you live, but that is not happening here.

What's happening here is what has always happened here. You have a couple of bums begging for food and then you have a queue of folks in the market buying food that working folks can't afford to buy with their food-stamps and wic money.

Fantastic experience to be food shopping and working a meal plan to see how you can stretch your food budget. Then go home and work to cook just as much as you need so that there won't be any left-overs/waste.

Then go to the market again and stand behind some person who is buying $40 of raspberrys and a couple of tubs of cool whip and paying for them in foodstamps.

How about changing "needing food assistance" with hungry? Even then, I would need to see the methodology of the study to believe the claims. It always amazes me when so many folks don't believe anything that the government says, but will buy these kinds of "studys". Every group involved in the system today is pushing some kind of agenda.

Help those less fortunate. Even when the economy is doing well we should all do that and we should be doing more of it now. Understand though that much of this stuff is manipulative

I am not surprised at all.

It is elite doing what they do best.

Mass death by starvation. They did it in Ukrain, look it up.

Out of one, comes many - E Pluribus Enum- meaning out of one corporation comes many corporations and with those corporations, create democracies in other countries.

Thus destroying the former government, taking over all resources, and the begginning of a "new country" (its really the begginning of another corporation).

A good example is Iraq. Iraq shows the how the begginning works, and a good example of the end is Ukrain's millions of deaths by starvation.

A good middle/end example of how this cycle works is the U.S. Corporation or the United States and its current homeless/starving rate.


My rant as some would say seems logical, right? (i know it to be true and factual)

Originally posted by Maddogkull
I am honestly not trying to be rude, but doesn’t America have one of the highest obesity rates in the world.....??? How can 46 percent be hungry/starving?

I was just thinking the same thing too. My theory is that obesity is the leading reason for such a high demand for food assistance, if they have it by the state level then it would help back up my theory because the deep south has very high obesity levels. I believe most people have the money to feed themselves but not enough money to feed themselves the way they previously did so they can keep their figures.

reply to post by Maddogkull


Your not being rude. You're being honest. What you'll get is that folks can't afford healthy food, so they are eating chips and such. That or that they are so ignorant that they don't know what a salad is.

I believe obesity is a major sign of malnutrition.

It can be a sign of not enough exercise, but I believe it could be a major sign of not eating correctly.

When people cannot afford to eat properly or do not have enough time to eat properly, they use the fast food places.

Also, have you ever tried to eat well? It costs a hell of a lot more than buying the high calorie, low nutritional value food.

As for the OP, does not surprise me AT ALL.

True income, based on non inflated dollars, has gone down in the US steadily for 30 years. When I graduated high school, you could live on the minimum wage of 3.15/hr. Now, can someone actually live on the minimum wage? No.

Welcome to America, where if you are not part of the gov/bank/corporate oligarchy, you ain't #.

reply to post by Mdv2


Hi!

Having been to the States (for highly enjoyable holidays) and always to the 4 Corners area which isn't all that rich, there are three things that have always perplexd me;

a) What is the American definition of hunger? The number of times I have seen plates loaded by overweight non-tourist Americans (who later discard half of it) is incredible. In Europe a single serving would serve two if not more...

b) Why so many Ram Dodge 3500's at the supermarkets? I guess it must be a natural vehicle when times are so hard?

c) Why the complaints of the price of gas (fuel) - try living in Europe!

And before you flame - I live in Berlin (Germany) where people cycle, walk, catch the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, catch buses or use small cars.... (Apart from the politicians of course!)

Sure there's a difference between 'rural' Amarica and a city but... people here make do and strangely, enjoy life.

Peace!






[edit on 2-2-2010 by The Wave]

Pay attention.
This is the kind of thing - that helps MONSANTO to stick their dirty little hands even further into the pot with GM foods - claiming to help the masses - with their ability to produce larger poisonous yields.

Demand organic food for everyone.
The white house has it.

Veggies and fruits are cheaper then meats and cheeses.

What is better live and healthy?

Or dead and rotting?

You make the choice, but sometimes people are forced to eat what they don't want.

Maybe exercise some more. Exercise smart, dance or find something fun to do. Personally I find Poi fun and full of exercise.

I think this may be being misinterpreted a little or not stated well in the article.

They are not saying that there is a 46% jump of people starving and begging for food on the streets.

They ARE saying there is a 46% jump in the number of people that need assistance (like from a food bank) to be able to feed themselves or their family.

In other words - a 46% jump in people that can't afford all the food they need so they have to rely on assistance or charity to feed themselves or their family. If they don't get the assistance / charity - they may very well go hungry.

You can read about this here..

Feeding America

* Feeding America is annually providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children. This is an increase of 46 percent over 2006, when we were feeding 25 million Americans, including 9 million children, each year.
* That means one in eight Americans now rely on Feeding America for food and groceries.
* Feeding America's nationwide network of food banks is feeding 1 million more Americans each week than we did in 2006.
* Thirty-six percent of the households we serve have at least one person working.
* More than one-third of client households report having to choose between food and other basic necessities, such as rent, utilities and medical care.
* The number of children the Feeding America network serves has increased by 50 percent since 2006.

Much of what is donated to food banks isn't exactly "healthy" food. It is often things that can be stored for long periods, high in fat, salt, etc. Its one reason why you see overweight poor. Its like fast food, its cheap and fattening.

46% of the US are not starving. This has nothing to do with obese Americans. That certain food shelf handed out 46% more food to Americans and I am assuming non-resident illegal aliens who needed a little something more. Food shelves aren't very nosy, and i bet there are people who go there and take food even tho they don't need a handout.

Can't use percentages from a food shelf to calculate nationwide hunger and TPTB agendas.

Believe me, there will be only be more and more alarming headlines like this. As there were headlines for America being obese in the not so distant past. These are all setting us up to feel depressed and emotionally drained. What do we do about this news that we are bombarded with? It has to all be true, why else would they tell us?

Need I remind everyone that the Codex Alimentarius was implemented at the end of last year. For anyone who doesn't know what that is, I suggest you follow the link that I provided. It has to do with controlling the world's food supplies through a central body. They are going to make changes to how we live. They are prepping us for the inevitable.

reply to post by Frogs


Exactly, and it equals one in eight Americans. I just figured that in Holland it's one in 16 Dutch people.

Folks, this is why economics is important. It isn't about the markets or who gets to make what, it's about people. This is the end result of fraud that continues to go unchecked in this nation. This is the face of Keynesian economics, where the welfare of corporations is placed before the freedom and prosperity of our nation.

Take a good look.

reply to post by projectvxn


Its true and I agree with you.

Sad though.

After an economic collapse and people are going hungry, its back to the sun, the earth, water, and what you can grow.

Originally posted by dolphinfan
You have a couple of bums begging for food and then you have a queue of folks in the market buying food that working folks can't afford to buy with their food-stamps and wic money.

Fantastic experience to be food shopping and working a meal plan to see how you can stretch your food budget. Then go home and work to cook just as much as you need so that there won't be any left-overs/waste.

Then go to the market again and stand behind some person who is buying $40 of raspberrys and a couple of tubs of cool whip and paying for them in foodstamps.

Ahh! It almost hurts because it's true. Many times I skipped strawberries or other such things on budgetary considerations, only to see the next in line buy same with food stamps

[edit on 2-2-2010 by buddhasystem]

Where do I begin.

You are probably right that these statistics aren't correct, like, how would they know certain circumstances, they don't.

I would say there are a ton of people falling through the cracks that aren't asking for help or receiving any.

I don't know how many of you have gone without eating for a few days, like 3 or 4, in a row, then a few more and a few more. December and January was up and down, more down.

It is quite an experience and gives you quite a perspective.

I now have witnessed how hunger can consume the person. I resent shopping with people that can buy potato chips and cookies and load their shopping carts with food.

By the way, it doesn't cost any more to eat well or healthy as it is to eat unhealthy.
Now, if you only have $10.00 to shop. You probably won't be able to cover the 4 food groups this time around.

I don't understand, myself, how can people be poor and FAT???!!! I don't get it!!!!
I pay my bills first, then I eat!

My next door neighbors are elderly retired and on a fixed income, and I consider it a crime to ask them or let them know what I don't have to eat.

It has to be one of the most uncomfortable things to go through. Losing 15 lbs in a week or two sucks. I am not able to workout(weight lifting) lately, since I can't feed the muscles the way they should.

I have always been healthy, not fat, and always have taken the approach, "eat to live" though this is not what I had in mind.

I don't remember ever going hungry in college(like this) not having much money back then!

I don't have a support system in my area, all of my friends and family are distant, or have moved afar.

I Completely understand that I put my self in this position and I can only blame myself for this and no one else. If is my fault! This is just a temporary set back that is almost behind me.

I would just ask that you all pay attention to your neighbors, friends and even strangers, and look for signs that they may need help or just some one to talk to. You just never know who that may be.

When I finally was able to buy food two weeks ago, I was waiting in the checkout line, an elderly gentleman in front of me, tired, with a limp, gathered a few goods from his cart and set them on the belt. I can now see clearly that I am not the only one, and that, I Have It Real Good! Still!
I felt like just handing him my goods and what cash I had because I was embarrassed, and that I have "No" reason to be down. I just wanted to cry!

I now can see by what people buy and how they are buying what is going on, or the people that are in need or help. If this makes sense to you. It does to me and that all that matters.