Hungry Americans

While some U.S. households are cutting out entertainment to make ends meet during the economic recession, others are going hungry. In 2008, the U.S. recorded the highest percentage of hungry households—or those with “low food security”—since the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) started tracking food security trends in 1995, according to a USDA study released in November. Adults in 17 million households experienced disruptions to their normal eating patterns, or were forced to fall back on coping mechanisms such as community food pantries, due to the lack of funds. Additionally, the number of children in food-insecure U.S. households has reached 22.5 percent—that’s 4.2 million more hungry kids than in 2007.