1 in 7 Americans Went Hungry in 2008

Highest Number since USDA Began Tracking Food Security Levels in 1995

(CBS/ AP)  More than one in seven American households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008, the highest number since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began tracking food security levels in 1995.

That's 14.6 percent of U.S. households, or about 49 million people. The numbers are a significant increase from 2007, when 11.1 percent of U.S. households suffered from what USDA classifies as "food insecurity" — not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the numbers could be higher in 2009 because of the global economic slowdown.

"This report suggests its time for America to get very serious about food security and hunger," Vilsack told reporters during a conference call.

The USDA said Monday that 5.7 percent of those who struggled for food experienced "very low food security," meaning household members reduced their food intake.

The numbers dovetail with dire economic conditions for many Americans. And they may not take the full measure of America's current struggles with hunger: Vilsack and the report's lead author, Mark Nord with USDA's economic research service, both emphasized that the numbers reflected the situation in 2008 and that the economy's continued troubles in 2009 would likely mean higher numbers next year.

The report also showed an increasing number of children in the United States are suffering food insecurity. In 2008, 16.7 million children were classified as food insecure, 4.3 million more than in 2007.

Hunger advocates said they were not surprised by the numbers, and said the numbers for children, in particular, were lamentable.

"What should really shock us is that almost one in four children in our country lives on the brink of hunger," said David Beckmann, the President of Bread of the World, a hunger advocacy organization.

Vickie Escarra, the president of Feeding America, another hunger advocacy group, said all indications were that numbers in 2009 would be even worse than 2008.

"(T)he escalating unemployment rate and the number of working-poor, lead us to believe that the number of people facing hunger will continue to rise significantly over the coming year," she said. "Research on previous economic recessions indicates that people who fall into the grips of poverty in a time of recession do not recover financially."

Vilsack said that it would take a concerted effort to reduce the number of Americans who face food insecurity and said he hoped that the stark reality of Monday's report would inspire action. He also said it was important to recognize that the numbers could have been much worse without adequately funded food aid programs, such as food stamps.

"There's an opportunity here for the country to make a major commitment to focus on ways we can improve this process and make sure that food is safe and available for everyone," he said.

Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI decried the steadily worsening tragedy of world hunger on Monday after a global summit rebuffed a U.N. call to commit billions of dollars a year for a new strategy to help poor countries feed themselves.

The meeting at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization did unite nearly 200 countries behind a pledge to increase aid to farmers in poor countries to help the developing world lessen its dependence on foreign food aid.

Only hours after the three-day summit began, some 60 heads of state and dozens of ministers rejected the U.N.'s call to commit $44 billion annually for agricultural development in these nations. The final declaration also omitted a pledge, sought by the United Nations, to eradicate hunger by 2025.

"Hunger is the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty," Benedict told the delegates after the document was approved. "Opulence and waste are no longer acceptable when the tragedy of hunger is assuming ever greater proportions."

The last previous papal appearance at a food summit in Rome came in 1996, when Pope John Paul II delivered a speech.

U.N. officials say roughly 1 billion people — one of every six people on the planet — don't get enough to eat.

[bubbadubba]

Well based on how FAT America is you would have hard time convincing me so many are "going hungry".
No, wait, I guess fat people can "go hungry" if they don't consume their 8,000 calories a day.
Apologies.
But I tell you this, the "starving" sure can't live without their cell phones glued to their head and running up $ 800.00 a month cell phone bills.
BOGUS STORY.

[Ms_enza]

you're a worthless POS.

[Ms_enza]

you're a worthless POS. But looking at the comments here, you ain't alone.

[Sloughfoot]

Numbers, numbers, numbers - couple those with definitions for hunger that most would find humorous and the reality of hunger in America is spaced off by most as a hoax. Unfortunate indeed, however, gov. and self-serving entities do so often infalte the numbers to such extremes.

A problem for elderly on fix income SS that they thought would support them in their 80s and 90s - you bet. Those finding themselves out of work in the last 20 months also must struggle to stretch the benefit's check and no doubt meals like they were accustomed to have become memories. But bloated stomach hunger, true hunger, in America - show it to me. Don't bother me with pictures of poor folk in West Virginia or Cajuns in LA. this is a lifestyle and their choice. You can find them throughout America - some still do not have indoor plumbing - mice and even rats are their constant neighbors, dogs sleep under the porch all day, while they rock on above. It is a lifestyle of their choosing - believe me.

[Dgunner]

I agree with you. the vision through the scope of government study is not the vision of truth . It has not been that way since Roosevelt.I live with three thousand native - americans. to look at some from a distance . Most would say how do those people live like that? They choose to live that way.Simplicity is the norm for some . poverty among my tribe is rare. although it appears to be rampant.Look closer and you may find the cushion in the rocking chair stuffed with money.

[Ceres6]

All the CEOs and executives that made millions of dollars in salaries and bonuses will say that 1 of every 7 Americans is a loser, and that they deserve to suffer. If ten of millions of Americans don't suffer, it would be impossible for the executives to enjoy the good life. This is certainly the land of opportunity for the Forbes boys.

[bubbadubba]

warning- fullmalls.com is listed as a malware attack site.

[louiville35]

Don't forget fullstores.com too

[bubbadubba]

Warning - fullstores.com is listed as a malware attack site.

[kevjustice]

As much as you neocons don't like it the world is moving toward socialism. 100 years ago there were no socialist countries now much of the world has some form of socialism. Many latin american countries have gone to a form of socialism. There are just too many people in the world now and the resources are diminishing. But do not get your panties in an uproar. There will still be capitalism. All the little things are best done by the people instead of the government. It will not be like Cuba or North Korea. It will be more like Brazil or Europe.

[fcs25]

Completely not true.Since America has over 300 million people do the math and you'll see that this article is total trash.

[solidoak]

The 40 per cent who get public assistance get plenty of help in buying food. It's the hard working people in this country who have lost their jobs that have a hard time putting food on the table. And senior citizens are at the bottom because of higher drug prices. They barely make ends meet each month.

[lorajeantn]

The hard working people who have lost their jobs, including my husband for a while, and me right now, are a large part of that 40% getting public assistance. If you are living on unemployment, you are generally eligible for food stamps...that's why the public assistance numbers have increased so quickly and dramatically.

[searingtruth]

"Evil was discount, injustice blind to our eye, and deafness a feign of peace to the cries of torture and seal of loss.
Surely, we thought, this will save us."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[DSR_57]

THEN QUIT BEING SO DAMN LAZY ! ! ! !

[searingtruth]

"Nothing for the poor.
Because they have been negligent and irresponsible.

Everything for the billionaires.
Because they have been negligent and irresponsible."
SearingTruth

A Future of the Brave

[Myra44]

We should all work to change this! Donate to your local food bank this holiday season!!!! They need food and the holidays are a perfect time to look beyond your own life and needs and to help your fellow Americans!

[jsf14]

Donate HEALTHY food. And maytbe a video on substituting cheaper, healthier food for junk.

[BeckieBest]

Those of you who are still waiting for the trickle in the Bush/GOP trickle down tax cuts to reach you, keep waiting.


The rest of us know urine when we smell it.

[massey24]

Consider the Homeless. If poverty caused homelessness, the most of the homeless would be women and children. Women with children are the poorest group of society.

However, most women with children are VERY MOTIVATED to not be homeless.

What America needs is MOTIVATION and LIFE-TRAINING, not government programs.

[gramto8]

by massey24 November 16, 2009 10:38 PM EST
Consider the Homeless. If poverty caused homelessness, the most of the homeless would be women and children. Women with children are the poorest group of society.

However, most women with children are VERY MOTIVATED to not be homeless.

What America needs is MOTIVATION and LIFE-TRAINING, not government programs.
________________________________________________________________
Poverty DOES cause homelessness. I know this the hard way. I am about 13 days from the mortgage company selling my house in foreclosure. I THOUGHT I was making arrangements for mortgage restructuring. It got restructured okay! The first I knew was 8 days ago... when I got a letter that stated my house would be sold the first Tuesday in December. I am a widow on a survivor's benefit. I am also disabled, but SS didn't consider me as such back when I was eligible to collect disability SS. Since Wells Fargo and Ocwen have decided to do this to me (as well as to many, many others) I will be homeless in less than 2 weeks. Thankfully, I have family that I can stay with. Many people do not have that option. If I didn't have family, I would really be in a fix, as I cannot work. My income is fixed and would not cover rent anymore than it covered this mortgage.

There have been 18 months since my brother had his stroke. He was living here with me to help pay the bills, and after he stroked all his SSD had to go to the nursing home for his care. I have managed to hold out for 18 months, but I have finally drowned. Many times in those 18 months my kitchen cupboards would have nothing more than condiments in them. My refrigerator was frequently empty. Unfortunately, the stress of all this prevented me from losing weight. Don't believe it? Just check out what effect stress can have on your body. Google it. Though I would spend days with nothing more than a biscuit or piece of cornbread to eat, I didn't lose weight. I sure was hoping that at least that good would come of this, but not even that happened for me.

[galbraith45]

i would bet my right arm that not 1 person lost weight below normal weight in this country.people on foods stamps gain weight.plenty of other places to get free food in every city and town in this country.hungry my as/s.

[nowhiningallowed]

...they also waste their money on things likes booze, cigarettes, etc. instead of nutritional food for their kids...

[lorajeantn]

by nowhiningallowed November 17, 2009 7:37 AM EST
...they also waste their money on things likes booze, cigarettes, etc. instead of nutritional food for their kids...

Uh, food stamps doesn't cover booze or cigarettes. At least it didn't when I was a cashier in a grocery store last year...

[massey24]

Wah! I ate 4 meals per day for 6 days this week. On Thursday, I was out of money!

Most people in this country are not poor. They are un-trained.

No one goes hungry for lack of food stamps or $1 per day.
They go hungry because they waste their money on garbage.

[retm-w]

Yet we can feed other countries, and pay farmers not to plant crops.

[jsf14]

We pay farmers no to plant crops in order to protect farmland for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.

[Sloughfoot]

jsf14 - not so - the farm program has it's roots in the late 40s -50s as a means to subsidize faarmers for not farming land that had been broken to feed the War effort. What soon became apparent was that advances in tech allowed the farmer to produce more with less and more land was removed from production. It was also realized that with a gov. check the farmer would go to the impliment dealer and seed and fertilizer companies and spend his (welfare check)- hence gov subsidized agri inustry via the farmer medium.

Anything idealogical about this farmer/subsidy program is propaganda. The reason it doesn't go away is not because of the farmer but because the Agri-Industrial complex has been reaping a whirlwind of profits at the taxpayers expense for well over 50 years.

[Itshottoday]

1/7 hungry. :O
I can't believe.

[nicoleleamon]

I and my then 3 year old was one of those in seven who went hungry. After relocating to Nevada during the height of the recession plummet, I was without consistent work, had a realtor take advantage of us in leasing a house which was foreclosed upon (taking all the money I had) and my child became very ill amongst other recession horrors. When I asked the state of Nevada for assistance they called child protective services on me because I told them I needed emergency assistance for my child, but did not want the money because I had work, just not consistently. All types of evil things were said to me by the case workers I dealt with. I was even investigated because I was told I "didn't LOOK like their average client" or that I needed help.

Tell that to a hungry 3 year old with food allergies and asthma. Tell it to me, a single mom whose worked since I was 14 years old and traveled the world with a father dedicated to serving his country when I was a child. Tell that to us when the case workers were more interested in intimidating us than fact checking. Ultimately finding a loophole excuse, turning us away for simply not LOOKING as if we needed help (why because I combed our hair, spoke fluent English and asked for medical assistance for a very ill child)! No, I'm not Hispanic from across the border, I'm educated and I work very hard...just needed a helping hand not even for myself. I was asked a kabillion times where my little one's father was as though families with no work and three hungry individuals make a difference.

I discovered that fighting American spirit has to sometimes be used even on our own turf because we are treated like foreigners in our own country. I finally put an ad on Craigslist.com asking for help from everything from clothes for my child (all our things were in another state in storage) who, unbeknownst to me, was given a very warm overcoat just 24 hours before Nevada's surprise snowfall last year. I had only requested trousers and long sleeved shirts. I learned to barter and refuse to waste my time giving fodder for stories like the one above. Because the only thing I can say is I'm not sure WHY ANY of us should go hungry at all. It's just pathetic American bureaucracy that permits it.

We still eat minimally and our diet could be better. Especially because I don't eat a lot of meat and my child is allergic to some of the sources of good protein builders like nuts. I will never subject us to the horrid humiliation we encountered. Can you imagine beint THREATENED with the police because you are simply asking for services your PAID TAXES say you are entitled to??? That's how Americans go hungry!!! Greedy, bureaucratic pervs that tweek the books on social programs to dip greedy budgets into programs set aside for the health and stability of the family!

Three weeks later, my child was in the hospital with asthma brought on by stress, Child Protective Services did visit the home and gave us a $20 grocery coupon because the investigator found the claim ludicrous. Social Services did give us a food program on a card similar to a credit card, but also threatened to take my child away by their actions. I was told by others that is the norm in Las Vegas or Nevada period. Mother's are often made to feel like dirt or are openly humiliated by the case workers. If you fight back for your dignity and human rights you are targeted for retaliation. I called the Governor's office and they did nothing.

[Ceres6]

Since 1 of every 7 Americans went hungry in the year 2008, this means that 45 millions Americans are having a difficult time to survive. On the other hand, 7 of every 7 business executives that received a megabonus in the year 2008 are now having a great time, and they are lighting cigars with 100-dollar bills. Those business executives should be grateful to the 45 million Americans that are starving, because without their sacrifice, the super-intelligent executives would be enjoying life to the fullest as now they are doing.

[bann65]

I don't believe ANYTHING CBS reports. It's so biased. I heard in 2009 people were going hungry! Now CBS pushes it back a year so it doesn't look like it's because of Obama! LOL.