Hunger in the United States

A recent report by the Department of Agriculture has shed light on some shocking numbers about the food security of Americans.   Last year, the Department reports, the number of Americans that did not have consistent access to food jumped from 36 million to 49 million, the highest increase since 1995.

As reported in The New York Times, the methodology of the report has been challenged by conservative analysts because of its vague survey questions.

The New York Times did present the following analysis of the report’s numbers:

The increase, of 13 million Americans, was much larger than even the most pessimistic observers of hunger trends had expected and cast an alarming light on the daily hardships caused by the recession’s punishing effect on jobs and wages.

About a third of these struggling households had what the researchers called “very low food security,” meaning lack of money forced members to skip meals, cut portions or otherwise forgo food at some point in the year.

The other two-thirds typically had enough to eat, but only by eating cheaper or less varied foods, relying on government aid like food stamps, or visiting food pantries and soup kitchens.

The politics of food in the U.S. is discussed in the article, especially how the word “hunger” has become politically charged when describing the lack of access to food in the United States.  The article also touches on some of the causes of increased hunger in the U.S., including food prices and the financial crisis.