1. Nutrition and Poverty in the United States
HDF 434 Children and Families in Poverty

2. Thought Questions Why are the poor going hungry in the US?
Why are the poor more likely to be overweight?
Who should be responsible for ending hunger – individuals, the US government, faith-based and community programs?

3. Definitions food for an active, healthy life.
Food security: Access to enough
food for an active, healthy life.
nutritionally adequate and safe foods
can acquire such foods in socially acceptable ways.
Food insecurity: Limited/uncertain access
Stress/anxiety due to uncertainty about food
Use compromising behaviors to obtain food
Hunger: People are not counted as "hungry" for these statistics if they were hungry only because they were dieting to lose weight, fasting for religious reasons, or were just too busy to eat.
Food insecurity and hunger statistics reflect hardships as a result of not being able to afford enough food

4. Definitions - Continued
Food insecurity with hunger: Uneasy or painful sensation caused by a lack of food. A potential, although not necessary, consequence of food insecurity.
Are you experiencing hunger?
See food; secrete dopamine; seek quick
fix
Has been changed to very low food insecurity

5. Hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. (2012)
14.5% of American households were food insecure 2012
One of the highest level on record
5.7% had very low food security (hunger)
Source: Economic Research Service, USDA, Household Food Security in the United States, 2012.
12.1 million U.S. households (11.1% of all households) were food insecure at some time during the year
3.8 million of these households (3.5% of all households) were food insecure to the extent that one or more household members were hungry at least some time during the year.
Households with children reported food insecurity at more than double the rate for households without kids (16.5% vs. 8%).

6. Recent change in Food Insecurity
Rhode Island
Change across US

7. Food insecurity across the US

8. Poverty and poor diets Why are the poor overweight?
Shopping and diets vs. access to healthy foods?
Example from California WIC program
Grocery stores and nutrition
Role of government subsidies?

9. Children’s diets are disrupted by food insecurity
Among food-insecure households with children:
81% relied on only a few kinds of low-cost food to feed their children because they were running out of money to buy food; 19% reported that this occurred often.
52% could not afford to feed their children balanced meals.
25% reported that their kids were not eating enough because the family could not afford enough food.
Source: M Nord, Food Insecurity in Households With Children, USDA, 2003.

10. Research regarding effects of hunger/food insecurity
What happens when people are hungry?
Negative impacts on health
For adults
For children?
Negative impacts on cognitive processing
Connection to school success?
Associated with depression/anxiety among poor women
Effects on parenting, cognition, health?

11. Student Led Discussion – Individual efforts to get enough food?
Hoisington, A., Schultz, J., & Butkus, S. (2002). Coping strategies and nutrition education needs among food pantry users. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 34 (6),

12. Whose role? Non-profits and religious groups ?
Soup kitchens and food pantries
Are they enough?
Who uses them?

13. What can/should the government do?
SNAP benefits
March U.S. House passed
bill to drastically cut SNAP
09 – 32 million of food stamps
12 – 48 million (50% increase)

14. Ability to Access and use SNAP?
Access to SNAP
Length, difficulty, reading level
Need to recertify every 6 months
Visual of SNAP application
Ability to use SNAP benefits (fraud)
For homeless, elderly, disabled
Video – Cost of hunger

15. What can/should government do? Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Provides 4.5 billion in new funding to child nutrition programs
Increases eligibility for children in school meals programs
Gave USDA authority to set
nutritional standards and rewards schools
that comply
Tomato sauce used in pizza as a “vegetable”

16. What can/should we do? Fight against cuts to SNAP
Support increases to federal food program back to 1970s level
School breakfast
School lunch
WIC
Change rules about benefits for SNAP/subsidized day care