
“Mom, I’m starving and there’s nothing to eat.” I hear this almost everyday from my teenagers. But, thank God, they have no idea what it really is to be starving, or even hungry, or really have nothing to eat. More than 12.6 million children in the U.S., that’s one in six, are at risk of hunger.
Today is October 15, 2008, and more than 9,000 bloggers, with an estimated 10,000,000+ collective readers, have committed to writing about poverty within the subject of our individual blogs. By all posting on the same day we aim to change the conversation for one day, to raise awareness, start a global discussion, and add momentum to an important cause.
What does “hunger” really mean? Childhood hunger is an uneasy or painful sensation among children, caused by involuntary lack of food within their households. But also, children can also be hungry nutritionally, without feeling any sensation of pain or discomfort. With limited or uncertain availability of nutritional foods, children in almost 16% of U.S. households suffer from nutritional hunger.
Children who are hungry have greater difficulties learning and performing academically. They are less likely to perform well on tests, and more likely to repeat a grade. They have greater incidents of school absence, tardiness, and school suspensions.
Children who are hungry are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior, have higher levels of hyperactivity, anxiety, and/or passivity, and have difficulty getting along with other children.
Children who are hungry or do not receive proper nutrition suffer from the significant and long-lasting health effects of hunger. Hunger will stunt their growth and development, not only physically, but also their mentally. Children who do not receive proper nutrition suffer from more illnesses, including stomach- and headaches, colds, ear infections, and fatigue. They are more hospitalization, and at greater risk for obesity and its harmful health consequences.
Obese and hungry? Wouldn’t those two be mutually exclusive? Not so, parents without money to buy enough food often have to rely on cheaper, high-calorie foods to keep kids feeling full longer, but that can meant that they eat more calories than is wise and that they don’t receive proper nutrition.
Share Our Strength is committed to ending childhood hunger in America. Visit their web site to learn more about childhood hunger and Share Our Strength’s efforts.
In addition, freerice.com donates 20 grains of rice to the World Food Bank for every correct answer you submit correctly on their quiz web site. Simply, click on your subject area of interest and answer a few questions. 114,283,760 grains of rice were donated yesterday; more than 46 billion grains have been donated to date. FreeRice has generated enough rice to feed more than two million people since it started in October 2007.
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