Time for the Food Insecurity Tax and Food Insecurity Czar...
Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 11/18/2009 8:30:21 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Nearly one in four children in the United States lived in a home that suffered from food insecurity in 2008, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In total, 16.7 million children, or 22.5 percent, were from families that had difficulty putting enough food on the table last year. That’s 4.3 million more children than in 2007.
“Child hunger is not just a casualty of the recession,” commented the Rev. David Beckmann, president of the Christian anti-poverty group Bread for the World, in response to the data. “It was a problem before the recession, and unless we take the necessary steps, kids will continue to suffer after the economy recovers.”
In making his point, Beckmann pointed to record high participation in the federally-funded food assistance program called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) as a barometer of food security. More than 36 million people – half of them children – received SNAP benefits in August 2009 – a 24 percent increase compared to August 2008.
The new USDA data also shows more than one in seven, or over 49 million American households, suffered from food insecurity in 2008. The figure – an 11 percent increase from 2007 – represents the largest one-year increase since the USDA first began publishing data on food security in 1995.
President Obama described the report as “unsettling” and said he was particularly troubled by the finding that children in 500,000 U.S. families experienced hunger multiple times last year.
“Our children’s ability to grow, learn, and meet their full potential – and therefore our future competitiveness as a nation – depends on regular access to healthy meals,” Obama said in a statement.
Obama said the first response to reversing the current trend of U.S. hunger is to “restore job growth.” He also said his administration will increase help for low-income families that need food assistance, especially those with children.
In Beckmann’s remarks, the anti-poverty leader noted that the recession has made the problem of hunger worse, but also said it has also made it more visible.
“Increased public awareness and the administration’s commitment gives me hope,” he stated. “ To end hunger, our leaders need to strengthen nutrition programs and provide steady jobs that allow parents to escape the cycle of poverty and feed their families for years to come.”
Beckmann is calling for the renewal of U.S. Child Nutrition programs, scheduled to take place early next year.
“food insecurity”.....yeah....uh huh.....like maybe they won’t get their Doritos and coke....
Another Obama crisis too good to waste. Barbra Striesand!
If you’ve walked into a US elementary school in recent years you’ll know that the real problem isn’t kids not having enough to eat. We are breeding a generation of hogs.
Maybe if their parents weren’t out selling the food stamps for crack cocaine; the kids might get something to eat. Give them food directly, NOT money.
No shortage of high definition TV’s, cellular phones, new cars, etc. though. /bs statistic
First they say our kids are obese, then suddenly they’re starving!
Bravo.
Sierra.
Hunger really isn't a problem in this country. People without money or assets who can't or don't want to work get free housing, spending money and free food, courtesy of various government programs (which are ultimately funded by people who do work or otherwise generate taxable income). So what do people with money or assets who can't or don't want to work do? They need to spend down their money and assets before they become eligible for taxpayer-funded government aid.
The reason hunger really isn't a problem stateside is because each indigent person gets a $180 to $200 for food per month, depending on state. For instance, the monthly Texas benefit for 2 people, which can only be used for buying food is $367:
Note that chicken leg quarters cost anywhere from $0.69 to $1.29 a pound, depending on the grocery store closest to your home. In my area, the lowest price I've found in recent years (on sale) is about $0.49 a pound, but the normal price is about $0.69 to $0.89. This means that if you consume half a pound of chicken a day, your meat costs are $20 a month, at most. Vegetables range from $0.49 a pound for cabbage, celery and carrots to $1.49 a pound for more exotic items. If you consume a pound of vegetables a day, your monthly costs are $45 a month, at most. A pound of potatoes is $0.49. Assuming you eat two pounds of potatoes a day, that's $30 a month. The total monthly cost? $20 (chicken) + $45 (veggies) + $30 (potatoes) = $95 - well short of the $180 to $200 monthly allowance.
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Which is it?
Do are kids have a fat problem or a hunger problem?
Does it depend on which day of the week it is?
And once again, here’s the question that never seems to be asked:
Why can’t their parents put food on the table?
Let’s lower taxes and reduce regulations so parents can get jobs and feed the children. It’s for the children!
More reason for distribution of wealth, huh?
Barry must be onto something.... =.=
ROFLOL, that is the truth.
They sell their food for pennies on the dollar to get drug and beer money.
I’m sorry but I’m calling BS on this whole story. I just don’t believe a word of it.
Yep, our obese kids are starving.
Meanwhile
We need to spend 2 trillion dollars helping food security of obese starving kids.
It’s okay - last week they were telling us the kids were too fat and childhood obesity was a real problem.
So losing some weight would do them some good. :)
Time for the Food Insecurity Tax and Food Insecurity Czar...
The data below was copied in from a CDC web site. Basically it appears that we are being taxed out the whazoo to buy food for starving kids who are overweight. And, of course, they will add taxes to “unhealthy” foods soon enough; particularly after health care is “reformed”. Then we will be getting taxed because someone else is both hungry AND overweight. Maybe “food insecurity” causes some to compulsively slam more oreos bought w/ food stamps.
Racial/Ethnic Comparison: Boys Aged 12–19 Years
The most recent NHANES data (2003–2006) showed that for boys, aged 12–19 years:
• The prevalence rate of obesity was higher among adolescent Mexican-American boys (22.1%) and than among non-Hispanic white boys (17.3%) and black boys (18.5%).46
Data from NHANES III (1988–1994) through NHANES 2003–2006 showed that the largest increases in the prevalence of obesity occurred among adolescent non-Hispanic black boys (7.8%) and Mexican American boys (8.0%) compared to non-Hispanic white boys (5.7%).
• Among non-Hispanic white boys, the prevalence of obesity increased from 11.6% to 17.3%.
• Among non-Hispanic black boys, the prevalence of obesity increased from 10.7% to 18.5%.
• Among Mexican American boys, the prevalence of obesity increased from 14.1% to 22.1%.
Racial/Ethnic Comparison: Girls Aged 12–19 Years
The most recent NHANES data (2003–2006) showed that for girls, aged 12–19 years:
• Non-Hispanic black girls had the highest prevalence of obesity (27.7%) compared to that of non-Hispanic white (14.5%) and Mexican American 19.9%) girls.46
Data from NHANES III (1988–1994) through NHANES 2003–2006 showed that non-Hispanic black adolescent girls experienced the largest increase in the prevalence of obesity (14.5%) compared to non-Hispanic white adolescent (7.1%) and Mexican American adolescent (10.7%) girls.
• Among non-Hispanic white girls, the prevalence of obesity increased from 7.4% to 14.5%.
• Among non-Hispanic black girls, the prevalence of obesity increased from 13.2% to 27.7%.
• Among Mexican American girls, the prevalence of obesity increased from 9.2% to 19.9%.
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