WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2008

50% More U.S. Kids Went Hungry In 2007

Feds: 1 In 8 Americans Struggled To Feed Themselves - Even Before Economic Downturn

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(AP)  Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downturn, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.

The department's annual report on food security showed that during 2007 the number of children who suffered a substantial disruption in the amount of food they typically eat was more than 50 percent above the 430,000 in 2006 and the largest figure since 716,000 in 1998.

Overall, the 36.2 million adults and children who struggled with hunger during the year was up slightly from 35.5 million in 2006. That was 12.2 percent of Americans who didn't have the money or assistance to get enough food to maintain active, healthy lives.

Almost a third of those, 11.9 million adults and children, went hungry at some point. That figure has grown by more than 40 percent since 2000. The government says these people suffered a substantial disruption in their food supply at some point and classifies them as having "very low food security." Until the government rewrote its definitions two years ago, this group was described as having "food insecurity with hunger."

The findings should increase pressure to meet President-elect Barack Obama's campaign pledge to expand food aid and end childhood hunger by 2015, said James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger group.

He predicted the 2008 numbers will show even more hunger because of the sharp economic downturn this year.

(AP)
"There's every reason to think the increases in the number of hungry people will be very, very large based on the increased demand we're seeing this year at food stamp agencies, emergency kitchens, Women, Infants and Children clinics, really across the entire social service support structure," said James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger group.

Weill said the figures show that economic growth during the first seven years of the Bush administration didn't reach the poorest and hungriest people. "The people in the deepest poverty are suffering the most," Weill said.

The number of adults and children with "low food security" - those who avoided substantial food disruptions but still struggled to eat - fell slightly since 2000, from 24.7 million to 24.3 million. The government said these people have several ways of coping - eating less varied diets, obtaining food from emergency kitchens or community food charities, or participating in federal aid programs like food stamps, the school lunch program or the Women, Infants and Children program.

Among other findings:

  • The families with the highest rates of food insecurity were headed by single mothers (30.2 percent), black households (22.2 percent), Hispanic households (20.1 percent), and households with incomes below the official poverty line (37.7 percent).

  • States with families reporting the highest prevalence of food insecurity during 2005-2007 were Mississippi (17.4 percent), New Mexico (15 percent), Texas (14.8 percent) and Arkansas (14.4 percent).

  • The highest growth in food insecurity over the last 9 years came in Alaska and Iowa, both of which saw a 3.7 percent increase in families who struggled to eat adequately or had substantial food disruptions.



    © MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
    Add a Comment See all 51 Comments
    by shine4g November 20, 2008 5:43 PM EST
    The Bush/Cheney administration has been taking from the poor and giving to the rich. It is time to take money back from the rich and give it back to the poor.
    Reply to this comment
    by skinnyminny2 November 20, 2008 4:45 PM EST
    Call me heartless but I am confused. We hear of an obesity problem amoung our nation''s population, yet now we hear many are hungry.
    where are the rib cages and swollen, starved bellies?
    Reply to this comment
    by yongamerica November 20, 2008 12:38 AM EST
    The highest growth in food insecurity over the last 9 years came in Alaska and Iowa, both of which saw a 3.7 percent increase in families who struggled to eat adequately or had substantial food disruptions.

    There ya go, Sarah Palin. Your state, with all that moose, is going hungry. But you wouldn''t know that because you, like GW Bush, don''t read. Get back to us on that, would ya?
    Reply to this comment
    by drivelphobe November 19, 2008 5:12 PM EST
    cwbyht....

    No one is talking about legitimately disabled individuals and YOU KNOW THAT too. I am talking about the millions who live in the entitlement system as a matter of choice. They don''t want to work. They just survive, entitlement to entitlement, at my expense and perhaps even yours, if you work or have successfully retired.

    There is no reason to discuss this with you anymore. You are accusatory, demeaning and pompous. I know what my life experience has vividly reveaaled to me and what I have witnessed. The truth hurts doesn''t it!

    Have a pleasant day.
    Reply to this comment
    by cwbyht November 19, 2008 4:43 PM EST
    cwbyhat....

    Typical bozo response to a factual statement, just accuse someone of lying.

    The food stamp artists are in general the lowest form of life, and they could care less about feeding their offspring if it means depriving themselves of ciggies and brew.

    Get out in the world and see for yourself what goes on daily in every liquor store and market in the USA.

    Hmmm! Wonder what I''''m going to have for dinner tonight. Maybe a BBQ''''d rib eye, baked potato, asparagus and salad. Might chase down a few beers while I''''m cooking. All paid for with cash earned by WORKING!!!



    I had a great breakfast, thank you, of chorizo and eggs, black beans, hot corn tortillas with butter and several cups of steamy, aromatic, robust coffee.

    You do not have a clue. You do not belong to the disabled community, and see the 99% of folks who are using their food stamps honestly. You are just passing on these fairy tales and you know it. And your *** is nice and fat, I''m sure from all that food you stuff into your piehole.Too bad nothing of substance comes out of it.
    Reply to this comment
    by reevesclan November 19, 2008 4:29 PM EST
    Pulic schools in Oregon and I am sure across the U.S. give middle income students free meals daily. Including free breakfast, free lunch and free dinner was just recently added. It would be very hard for a public school child to go hungry.
    Reply to this comment
    by drivelphobe November 19, 2008 4:19 PM EST
    cwbyhat....

    Typical bozo response to a factual statement, just accuse someone of lying.

    The food stamp artists are in general the lowest form of life, and they could care less about feeding their offspring if it means depriving themselves of ciggies and brew.

    Get out in the world and see for yourself what goes on daily in every liquor store and market in the USA.

    Hmmm! Wonder what I''m going to have for dinner tonight. Maybe a BBQ''d rib eye, baked potato, asparagus and salad. Might chase down a few beers while I''m cooking. All paid for with cash earned by WORKING!!!



    I had a great breakfast, thank you, of chorizo and eggs, black beans, hot corn tortillas with butter and several cups of steamy, aromatic, robust coffee.

    Reply to this comment
    by cwbyht November 19, 2008 3:24 PM EST
    cbsfan7331...

    I have been in line behind food stamp users and witnessed the bartering that goes on for cigarettes and booze, and, even more amazing, cash back. They also buy steak.

    I agree with obamasNUTZ on this one. Other than they few who truly are indigent, the rest are parasites, living a chosen life of riding the entitlement train.

    ObamasNUTS is not lying about the use of food stamps. You won''''t face reality.

    Have to go now and have a nice breakfast using cash.


    You think if that lie is told often enough, it will be believed don''t you? You udge an entire class of people on the .0003% who abuse the system. You want to know why poor kids are not getting fed? Its the cruel BS by heartless creeps like this. You know what? Go choke on yourcash paid breakfast.
    Reply to this comment
    by drivelphobe November 19, 2008 2:30 PM EST
    cbsfan7331...

    I have been in line behind food stamp users and witnessed the bartering that goes on for cigarettes and booze, and, even more amazing, cash back. They also buy steak.

    I agree with obamasNUTZ on this one. Other than they few who truly are indigent, the rest are parasites, living a chosen life of riding the entitlement train.

    ObamasNUTS is not lying about the use of food stamps. You won''t face reality.

    Have to go now and have a nice breakfast using cash.
    Reply to this comment
    by November 19, 2008 12:46 PM EST
    "The highest growth in food insecurity over the last 9 years came in Alaska..." tells me that Sarah needed to stay home and stick to her job instead of running around with Joe the Plumber and John the Maverick. Maybe Alaska can have a garage sale and Sarah will donate some wardrobe?
    Reply to this comment
    by November 19, 2008 12:42 PM EST
    obamasNUTZ apparently has little education as that person seems to have a problem with proper spelling and grammar.

    Or, as I suspect, this person is some child or an adult child living in mama''''s basement mooching off of her and so has no financial worries. Posted by NativeWoman
    ---
    I hesitate to mention this but "mama''s"basement, not mama"s basement would be an improvement. And I''m not sure about whether it is appropriate to say "off her" or "off of her." "Off of her" makes me think of her as a chair at the table, sometimes as the table itself, but "off her" makes me think of those little fishes that clean the whales'' baleens. Disgusting, I grant you. But not nearly as disgusting as having that many children in the land of plenty go plenty hungry. As much as it pains me to admit it, it is not Bush''s fault. It will not be Obama''s fault. It is OURs. We can afford $700 billion for bankers, $540 billion for money market mafia, $150 billion for insurance moguls and $10 billion a month for providing Halliburton a branch office in the middle east. But kids need to learn to feed themselves or they''ll grow up thinking the government will give them handouts.
    Reply to this comment
    by slim1h2o November 19, 2008 11:18 AM EST

    Excuse me sir, May I have anotha bowl of gruel?

    WHAAAAT?,,YOU WAANT ANOTHA BOOOWWWL??!!???

    Reply to this comment
    by babooph November 19, 2008 10:12 AM EST
    The post Bush American dream "a bowl of oatmeal".
    Reply to this comment
    by nativewoman November 19, 2008 9:43 AM EST
    obamasNUTZ apparently has little education as that person seems to have a problem with proper spelling and grammar.

    Or, as I suspect, this person is some child or an adult child living in mama''s basement mooching off of her and so has no financial worries.
    Reply to this comment
    by gertch1951 November 19, 2008 9:16 AM EST
    So why the H_ _ _ _ are we sending help for kids to other countries??????
    Reply to this comment
    by swingset4u November 19, 2008 2:35 AM EST
    If you get a refund EVERY year, claim 200% more as exemption and then at the end of the year just get a small refund. At least you will not give the IRS an interest free loan. Have you ever gotten an interest free loan from the gov.?
    Reply to this comment
    by downsteamjim November 19, 2008 1:05 AM EST
    Just because Obama will not use his own money to help his family doesn''t mean all Americans have to be that cheap.
    Reply to this comment
    by downsteamjim November 19, 2008 12:52 AM EST
    I just saw Aretha Franklin on T.V. Now I know where the food went.
    Reply to this comment
    by pcreversed November 18, 2008 10:37 PM EST
    With all the obese kids in this country, a little hunger might be a good thing
    Reply to this comment
    by downsteamjim November 18, 2008 10:29 PM EST
    Socialgrace: That''s called an ''excuse''.
    Reply to this comment
    See all 51 Comments
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