Report: Hunger fell in '05 for first time in 6 years

[J-10]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-15-hunger-decline_x.htm?csp=34
Updated 11/15/2006 1:35 PM ET
http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2006/11/15/hunger.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:;)http://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gifhttp://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/_inside/enlarge.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:;)Enlarge (http://javascript<b></b>:;)http://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gifUniversity of Southern Mississippi students Karen Allred and Brett Dyar help serve lunch at the Christian Services Soup Kitchen in Hattiesburg, Miss., Tuesday, in observance of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. In 2005, 35 million people struggled with hunger.


WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people struggling with hunger in the United States fell in 2005, the first such decline in six years, the Agriculture Department said Wednesday.

Last year, 35 million people suffered food insecurity, meaning they didn't have enough money or resources to get food. The number was 38 million in 2004.

ON DEADLINE: Read the report, share your experiences with food costs or volunteering (http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/11/fewer_americans.html)

The department had waited until after Election Day to issue the annual report, prompting accusations from Democrats that the Bush administration was playing politics with hunger.

Despite the positive news, the report is still drawing criticism, this time because analysts decided not to use the word "hunger" to describe how hungry people are.

"Changing the term and watering it down doesn't change the fact that 35 million Americans are in a constant struggle to put enough food on the table and to ward off hunger," said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger group.

"And that extraordinary number in this wealthy country living in a period of sustained economic growth is appalling, no matter what you call it," Weill said.

The report found:

There were more people with very low food security — those who are worst off. The number was 10.8 million, up from 10.7 million in 2004.

There were 24 million people with low food security, down from 27.5 million in 2004.

In the report, the terms "low food security" and "very low food security" replace the old descriptions of "food insecurity without hunger" and "food insecurity with hunger." The change was recommended by the National Academies, which advise the government on science and medical issues.

Among the states, Hawaii saw the biggest drop in the number of hungry people, from 12.9% in 1998 to 7.8% in 2005. South Carolina saw the biggest increase, from 11% in 1998 to 15.5% in 2005.

The hunger report is based on Census Bureau data on poverty, which stopped climbing in 2005.

[kinsella]

Last year, 35 million people suffered food insecurity, meaning they didn't have enough money or resources to get food. The number was 38 million in 2004.
(http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/11/fewer_americans.html)
The department had waited until after Election Day to issue the annual report, prompting accusations from Democrats that the Bush administration was playing politics with hunger.




so the dems think Bush withheld a positive report until after what was known to be a tough fight, and that is playing politics???

if he had released it right before the election to show that did something good, that would be playing politics.

seems the dems will make anything bush was around out as a bad thing.

i mean, 3 million less hungary people is a good thing right??

did i miss something here? i have done that before.

[AK74]

show your dark side after the voters have voted...welcome to the dark side.

of politics.

[PanzerMaster]

Mora than the 10% of the US population has "food security" problems?
Are we taling of the same US that have big corporations, the multi-billionaires over-class and place like beverly hills?

The downslide (regarding social issue) that the US is following, sadly is beginning also in Europe.
The childish says "The rich get richer, the poor get poorer" is the truth nowadays.

I'm sorry...because I am amongst the poors

[Litti]

It is ridiculous that this is the wealthiest country in the world we are talking about but they are still unable to take care of their own citizens.

However it is good to see that things are looking better now than in the past.

[Durandal]

Looking at the rate of increase in Type II Diabetes as a result of too much food or too much crap, American's could use a decrease in lack of hunger.


:|

[Clarts]

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20030531/food.asp

"Last year, for the third year in four, world per-capita grain production fell. Even more disturbing in a world where people still go hungry, at 294 kilograms, last year's per capita grain yield was the lowest in more than 30 years. Indeed, the global grain harvest has not met demand for 4 years, causing governments and food companies to mine stocks of these commodities that they were holding in reserve."

[AK74]

so much for super size me. dude , americans need the supersizing:

to kill off all the fat people.

to feed all the hungry thin malnurished people.

[CPL Trevoga]

There is no way 35 million people "suffered food insecurity" I tell you there is a thing called Food stamps. It's basically money for food, anybody can apply.
Now if somebody can't fill out a few forms, well that's just tough. America is the only country where poor people are fat as hell.

[AK74]

Now if somebody can't fill out a few forms, well that's just tough. America is the only country where poor people are fat as hell.

some poor people are illeterate.(*cough*USA*cough*)

and only on USA are poor people FAT? i dont think so.but you said it...


rofl rofl rofl

[CPL Trevoga]

some poor people are illeterate.(*cough*USA*cough*)
and only on USA are poor people FAT? i dont think so.but you said it...
rofl rofl rofl

Just like in most countries, middle education is mandatory in the US. If somebody is illiterate, fat and poor, well, that's just suck for them and it's their fault. Taking care of yourself is responsibility of the individual, not the society.

OK, fat poor. That just an oximoron. You've seen poor starving (very skinny) people in Ephiopia. That's poor and starving. If you're fat, that means your lazy and it is your choice.

[Spiggin]

I think you will find thats Epeopeeyerrrr:cantbeli:

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I'm sorry, but that report is a load of sh*t. Find me a single person in this country who doesn't have money for food. We have a massive problem with obesity among the poor. Our social services go begging not for money, but for customers. They actually advertise on the radio to get people to use the system. If people were really hungry, they would not need coaxing.

What we do have in this country, are a bunch of people who buy plasma TVs, fancy cars, clothes, drugs, booze, you name it, before food. Who's fault is that? If it weren't for the fact that children were involved, I'd say screw the lot of 'em and let them figure it out for themselves.

[angry cow]

I agree, sounds more like too many people bitching to me. Nothing against welfare states, but this isn't one of them. The only people I know who go hungry are college students and single-parent families who are working their asses off. And there are resources available to them.

[Durandal]

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20030531/food.asp

"Last year, for the third year in four, world per-capita grain production fell. Even more disturbing in a world where people still go hungry, at 294 kilograms, last year's per capita grain yield was the lowest in more than 30 years. Indeed, the global grain harvest has not met demand for 4 years, causing governments and food companies to mine stocks of these commodities that they were holding in reserve."

Goooooo grain futures!


More money for me. We'll get the Europeans buying GM crops yet!

[Smersh]

I'm sorry, but that report is a load of sh*t. Find me a single person in this country who doesn't have money for food.

I'm sure the Agricultural department releases reports with no facts in them. why don't you go volunteer in these soup kitches, I bet you'll find an american do deoesn't have money for food.

[AK74]

I'm sorry, but that report is a load of sh*t. Find me a single person in this country who doesn't have money for food. We have a massive problem with obesity among the poor. Our social services go begging not for money, but for customers. They actually advertise on the radio to get people to use the system. If people were really hungry, they would not need coaxing.

What we do have in this country, are a bunch of people who buy plasma TVs, fancy cars, clothes, drugs, booze, you name it, before food. Who's fault is that? If it weren't for the fact that children were involved, I'd say screw the lot of 'em and let them figure it out for themselves.

true , true. And not just USA , lots starve for their wants before their needs, such as food.

[Hunterhr]

I bet you'll find an american do deoesn't have money for food.

I bet they have an abundance of crack though. Oh and a cell phone.

[AK74]

I bet they have an abundance of crack though. Oh and a cell phone.

Shhhh!!!

not so loud...

the ATF will hear you!

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I'm sure the Agricultural department releases reports with no facts in them. why don't you go volunteer in these soup kitches, I bet you'll find an american do deoesn't have money for food.

Well, soup kitchens cater to people who don't have food, not people who don't have money for food. They are two different things. I don't deny that there are people with no food, but I guarantee that there's nobody who didn't have enough money to buy food, if they'd wanted to.

The poor in the US qualify for a myriad of different entitlement programs - if they are old or too ill to work, in addition to those they can get social security. In addition to all that, there is the food stamp program - fake money that can only be spent on food. That's because the government understand that if you hand most of these people real money - it will be spent on drugs, or booze, or ***, or whatever. So they are handed food stamps. And of course, there is a black market where people trade food stamps for money...to get drugs or booze or ***.

What I'm sayin' is...advocacy has become an industry in the US. There is big money to be made, there are local, state and federal programs to be staffed and funded, there are empires to be built and maintained and dominion to be established. But it all starts with standing in front of a committee with a piece of paper that says how desperately we need the program. $Ca-ching$ :)