HUNGER 2009 / Global Development: Charting a New Course

The Hunger Report

Global Development: Charting a New Course : : Chapters : : 5 | U.S. Poverty

Hunger and Human Development

Infants (12 months or younger) that did not receive WIC benefits because of access problems were more likely to be underweight, short, and perceived as having fair/poor health than were WIC recipients.

In children aged 1-5, food insufficiency is associated with high prevalence of fair/poor health and iron deficiency, and with greater likelihood of experiencing stomachaches, headaches, and colds.
In children aged 6-11, food insufficiency is associated with low arithmetic scores and the likelihood of repeating a grade, having seen a psychologist, and having had difficulty getting along with other children.
In children aged 15-16, food insufficiency is associated with depression, having had thoughts of death, a desire to die, and having attempted suicide.

Source: John T. Cook and Deborah A. Frank (2008), “Food Security, Poverty, and Human Development in the United States,” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Section Features | U.S. Poverty Reduction Brings Development Home

Rising Food Prices and Hunger in the U.S.

"Retail food prices remained stable over the last two decades. But in 2007, grocery prices rose 4.2 percent, the largest increase since 1990. Prices for milk, bread, flour, and eggs doubled in the last year.

Families seeking food assistance from SNAP (formerly the food stamp program) reached a record high in September 2008.

More than one in 10 Americans now receives food stamps." Read more »

"Over 37 million people in the United States lived in poverty in 2007.

The number of people living in poverty has increased by almost 6 million since 2000.

55 percent of children in low-income families have at least one parent who works full-time, year-round.

24.5 percent of black and 21.5 percent of Hispanic people live in poverty, compared to 8.2 percent of white people. Read more »

"Infants (12 months or younger) that did not receive WIC benefits because of access problems were more likely to be underweight, short, and perceived as having fair/poor health than were WIC recipients.

In children aged 6-11, food insufficiency is associated with low arithmetic scores and the likelihood of repeating a grade, having seen a psychologist, and having had difficulty getting along with other children." Read more »

Hunger 2009
Global Development:
Charting a New Course