One in Six Americans Struggled with Hunger in 2008
New figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that one in six Americans (49.1 million people) struggled against hunger in 2008.
These numbers are even worse than anticipated. In 2007, 36.2 million Americans were in food-insecure households. The 2008 number represents an increase of nearly 13 million people. The number is the highest since USDA first started the survey in 1995. The number of people in the worst-off category (living in "very low food secure" households) experienced the fastest pace of growth, rising from 11.9 million to 17.3 million. In fact, in many categories, the numbers are double what they were in 2000.
"Particularly troubling is the increase among children. According to the report, one in four children lived in households struggling with hunger," said Jim Weill of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). "President Obama has made it a goal to end childhood hunger by 2015, and these numbers highlight the urgency of dramatic action to achieve this goal. A strong economy, better wages, better income supports, and stronger SNAP/Food Stamp and child nutrition programs are the key steps."
To learn more about the 2008 data and its implications, click here.
(Report drawn from FRAC, November 16, 2009)
