| Although they live in a
wealthy nation, 13 million children in America live
in households with limited or uncertain access to
sufficient food. The majority of these children
are white and have at least one parent who is working;
nearly half live in two-parent families. Food hardships
are even more pronounced among certain groups of
children: about 30% of black and Hispanic children,
and over 40% of low-income children live in households
that do not have access to nutritionally adequate
diets necessary for an active, healthy life.
While food insecurity and hunger are closely
connected to poverty, direct research evidence
linking family food hardship to health, behavioral,
and other outcomes in children is now emerging.
The Center on Hunger and Poverty, in an analysis
prepared for ConAgra Foods' Feeding Children Better
Foundation, highlights recent findings showing
the adverse consequences of hunger and food insecurity
for children. The findings are grouped into three
broad areas: health consequences, psychosocial
and behavioral impacts, and learning and academic
outcomes. A section on the relationship between
food insecurity and obesity is also included,
since this is an issue receiving growing attention.
|
