General Discussion

marmar

(77,081 posts) Wed Jun 5, 2013, 07:52 AM Jun 2013

America’s Exceptional Food Insecurity

America’s Exceptional Food Insecurity

June 4, 2013
by John Light

Millions of American families say they have trouble putting food on the table and the economic recovery has done little to provide them with relief. Despite our relative prosperity as a nation, the percentage of Americans who, at some point in a given year, cannot afford to eat sets us apart from other wealthy countries.

Last month, the Pew Research Center used International Monetary Fund data to analyze the “levels of deprivation” across various countries, including our own. When the data is compiled in a chart (as it is below), it’s clear that the U.S. is an outlier: We are by far the richest country included in Pew’s study, but nearly a quarter of our population – over 78 million people — live in what’s called a “food insecure” household. In Canada, the second richest country Pew looked at, only nine percent of people had difficulty; in China, it was eight percent.

Interactive chart at the link: http://billmoyers.com/2013/06/04/americas-exceptional-food-insecurity/

6 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

America’s Exceptional Food Insecurity (Original Post) marmar Jun 2013 OP

du rec. xchrom Jun 2013 #1

How do you say in Chinese, "Eat your peas, children are starving in America"? starroute Jun 2013 #2

For us it was "people are starving in India" siligut Jun 2013 #5

Disgraceful. mountain grammy Jun 2013 #3

Food SamKnause Jun 2013 #4

I know this all too well Puzzledtraveller Jun 2013 #6

xchrom

(108,903 posts)

1. du rec.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 07:57 AM

Jun 2013

starroute

(12,977 posts)

2. How do you say in Chinese, "Eat your peas, children are starving in America"?

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 10:01 AM

Jun 2013

When my mother was a little girl in the 1920s, my grandmother pulled the "children are starving in China" line on her. It would be only just to get a reverse spin on it now.

siligut

(12,272 posts)

5. For us it was "people are starving in India"

Reply to starroute (Reply #2)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 10:33 AM

Jun 2013

I would have gladly sent my mother's "tuna surprise" to India.

mountain grammy

(26,622 posts)

3. Disgraceful.

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 10:01 AM

Jun 2013

SamKnause

(13,107 posts)

4. Food

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 10:27 AM

Jun 2013

I receive $109.00 per month in food stamps.

By the Republican and Tea Party people's standards I guess I am living 'high on the hog' : an expression that means someone is wealthy, or well off.

They would probably go so far as to say, I am living in the lap of luxury.

Puzzledtraveller

(5,937 posts)

6. I know this all too well

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 10:40 AM

Jun 2013

from personal experience and as a caseworker. I am able to get most of the families and individuals that apply for SNAP benefits the help they need but there are many I cannot. They are over the income limit. It is difficult to balance the emotions out, on the one hand I have able bodies adults who are not seeking work and are eligible and on the other a family who's working hard and unable to feed their family but are over the income limit and are denied benefits.

Reply to this discussion