In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 Americans, hunger is a reality.

Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, over 49 million Americans -- including over 16 million children -- are struggling with hunger. We all know and are in contact with people affected by hunger, even though we might not be aware of it.

Poverty is forcing millions of Americans into a hunger crisis. Their hunger emergency is defined by food insecurity, which is the lack of access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.² Families find themselves buying cheaper and less nutritious food, or cutting entire meals out of their diet, just to make ends meet. Increasing over time, this pattern leads to chronic malnutrition, affecting children and families in profoundly destructive ways.

"[Hunger] weakens families, and prevents our nation from reaching its full potential."³ Hungry children are not able to play and learn like other children, and are therefore less likely to become productive adults. Compromised health can lead to both short- and long-term problems; children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Hungry employees are less productive and more likely to make errors, putting their job at risk, which further perpetuates the poverty cycle.

Both the commonplace demands of daily life and unexpected, dramatic events can easily push families below the poverty line. "Families are often forced to make the tradeoff between food and other expenses. Health care is a particular problem. In poor, rural communities families often have no choice but to use the emergency room for routine health care. This is very expensive. Car repairs are another significant and unexpected expense. If the family car needs repair and it is the end of the month, when cash reserves are low, a family will have no choice but to reduce food intake to get the car back on the road in order to go to work."⁴

The Hidden Poor

Food insecurity affects many segments of the American population, including:

Children: According to the USDA, an estimated 12.4 million children lived in food-insecure households in 2005.⁵

Seniors: 6% of households with seniors (1.6 million households) were food insecure (low food security and very low food security).⁵ A study that examined the health and nutritional status of seniors found that food-insecure seniors had significantly lower intakes of vital nutrients in their diets when compared to their food-secure counterparts. In addition, food-insecure seniors were 2.33 times more likely to report fair/poor health status and had higher nutritional risk.⁶

Working Poor: In 2002, over 4 million non-elderly, low-income families reported using a food pantry in the past 12 months. ⁷ In 2002, nearly 2 million working parents with children turned to food pantries.⁷

Rural Poor: 16.6% of all rural households with children are food insecure (low food security and very low food security), an estimated 1 million children.⁵

Solving Hunger

"Decades of research and experience with antipoverty programs have made it clear that poverty involves very complex, interrelated and sometimes intractable socioeconomic, family, and individual issues."⁸

Because the causes are so complicated, it is not surprising that the solutions are equally as difficult to implement. Improving education in poverty stricken areas and changing public policy both affect change, and providing a safety net for those individuals in immediate crisis are all important areas that must continue to be approached with staunch purpose.

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

—Franklin D. Roosevelt

One person or one idea alone cannot unravel the hunger crisis. We must continue to alleviate the immediate suffering of the hungry by sending food to families in need, but simultaneously we must move toward solutions that will end the poverty cycle. By banding together and supporting nonprofit relief organizations, we can work toward affecting change nationally while immediately providing enough for those who have too little.

Learn More

• Visit our About Our Projects page to discover how your clicks and purchases fight hunger through the work of our nonprofit partners.

• Visit our World Hunger page to learn more about the global hunger crisis.

Hunger in the U.S. Notes

¹ Carmen DeNavas-Walt, B. Proctor, C. Lee. U.S. Census Bureau. Income, Poverty, and Heath Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005

² FIVIMS, (2006). What is meant by food insecurity and vulnerability? Retrieved April 24, 2007, from Web site: Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS) Web site

³ Food Research and Action Center. Retrieved May 22, 2007 from Food and Research Action Center Web site

⁴ Valentine, Vikki (2005, 11 22). Hunger in America: Q & A: The Causes Behind Hunger in America. Retrieved April 27, 2007, from National Public Radio Web site

⁵ Economic Research Service, (2005). Household Food Security. Retrieved April 25, 2007, from United States Department of Agriculture: Economic Research Service Web site

⁶ Lee, J.S. & Frongillo, E.A., (2001).Nutritional and Health Consequences Are Associated with Food Insecurity among U.S. Elderly Persons. Journal of Nutrition. 131, 1503-1509.

⁷ Zedlewski, Sheila R. (2003). Many Families Turn to Food Pantries for Help. Retrieved April 24, 2007, from Urban Institute Web site

⁸ Institute for Research on Poverty, (2004, 12 6). Understanding Poverty. Retrieved April 24, 2007, from Institute for Research on Poverty Web site