Running Head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Community Problem Report: Childhood Hunger

Jonathan Medina
University of Texas at El Paso

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2
Abstract

Children who live in a household where their family struggles to provide food to their children
fall under the label of hungry. Childhood hunger has been an issue that has been addressed
multiple times and has been attempted to be fixed, however due to the fact that it is such a large
population in the United States, it cannot be contained nor removed. There are multiple factors
that are causing children to be hungry in the United States. The causes include poverty which
disallows parents or guardians to provide dinner for the family and parenting that involves
neglect and abuse. The consequences that result from childhood hunger include inadequate
education due to a lack of the nutrients one receives from meals, behavioral issues which
inevitably lead to bad life style choices as well as emotional issues. Many organizations are
taking action on this issue by raising money & donating to the hungry or kitchens that give food
to the hungry.

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Childhood Hunger in America

Childhood hunger continues to increase at a steady rate alongside the rate of households
that live in poverty. People may not believe that childhood hunger has long term effects on the
nation, however it affects the overall performance of a child in school, their behavior and their
interactions with others. The health of children are affected from inadequate eating which leads
to illness that sometimes eventually lead to death. In 2012, childhood Hunger has the highest rate
in New Mexico and Mississippi meanwhile in North Dakota and Minnesota have the lowest rate
of children suffering from hunger. (Feeding America, 2014). Getting rid of childhood hunger,
hunger in general, is virtually impossible unless the government is willing to invest millions to
assist families in getting three meals a day. As well as millions of Americans aiding families in
assisting them in getting a job and supporting their families correctly.
Hunger for families and children is a costly issue in the United States (US) that costs the
US Government billions of dollars, approximately $167.5 billion (Center for American
Progress). It is costing the government to assist poor families through charity to keep them fed as
well as paying for health care that could be prevented if the families were well fed. Nearly half
of the population who use food stamps are children. A solution to aid the economy is to solve the
issue of childhood hunger and poverty, because if it does not resolve, the process will reoccur
repeatedly.
Teachers are first hand witnesses to the effects of childhood poverty on their ability to
function in classes. 60% of Kindergarten through eighth grade teachers say that they witness at
least one of their students go to school hungry, and 80% say that it is a weekly reoccurrence
witnessing one of the students go in on a weekly basis hungry (Hunger in Classrooms, 2012).
Teachers in grade school and middle school see children on a daily basis and claim that the

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amount of students they have that go to class hungry are growing. With the lack of nutrients a
child receives from eating breakfast, or an adequate amount of meals daily, it affects the brain &
its ability to function correctly. Without eating breakfast, it augments the lack of concentration
compared to a child who does eat breakfast before attending to school. As a result of the
concentration the student lacks, it leads to a dramatic drop in grades and prevents them from
moving any further in grades to receive higher education. Teachers also describe that they see
students complain of headaches & stomach pains that irritates them during school time which
affects their behavior and the child ends up needing to be disciplined when in reality its the
emotions of the pains directing their actions. Teachers are aiding parents in assisting their kids in
schools by having them apply to free and reduced lunch so that the parents can afford to provide
their children food while in school. Many schools also provide lunches for students during
summer sessions when there is no school yet they are able to get at least lunch during lunch time.
Teachers as well take it into their own hands by paying for lunch that they provide to their
students.
One the most concerning issues revolving around childhood hunger is the fact that
children have developmental issues from hunger. Children who are deprived from an efficient
diet are 90% more likely to have their overall health reported as fair/poor rather than
excellent/good (No kid hungry, 2013) than kids who are not deprived from an efficient diet.
When kids are not given correct diets, their health becomes weak and become vulnerable to
multiple illnesses which will eventually lead to the need of being hospitalized. Not only does it
cause illnesses but it prevents mental growth and physical growth which does not allow the child
to reach their potential. Due to the fact that breakfast gives kids the most nutrition throughout the
day, it aids in developing their mind as well as their functionality in school and throughout the

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day and allows them to make wiser decisions. If kids continue to be hungry, it will eventually
come back to haunt them in the future in their adulthood in various ways, health wise and
educational wise. If a student who is not receiving the correct diet will begin to fail in classes and
eventually more than likely become unsuccessful in life and will not be able to provide food for
their children as well. According to multiple doctors, they researched that girls are 68% less
likely to become obese if they participate in food nutritional meal plans in their schools (Sonya J.
Jones PhD, 2003). Studies have also been conducted on preschoolers to determine whether their
health is truly affected if a child doesnt receive adequate and nutritional meals, results were that
kids who dont receive correct meals are more than likely to get colds frequently. (K Alaimo,
2001). Students who go to school and do not eat breakfast and do not eat the night prior are more
than likely going to experience headaches & stomach pains from the lack of nutrients the body is
receiving from the meals required to eat. (K Alaimo, 2001)

The Solution
Many organizations as well as the government are fighting to get rid of childhood hunger by
getting involved with the situation. Organizations are using food drives to have food for food
deprived families and also by running things such as soup kitchens to help families and the poor
by the masses. Organizations use public service announcements as a way to raise awareness of
the situation and to convince people that they should get involved in the cause that the
organization is already supporting. An organization by the name of No Kid Hungry educates
the general public in areas that are high in rate of food deprived families of healthy cooking.
They teach families healthier ways of eating so that the children and the parents receive the
nutrients they need to live a healthy lifestyle. And also go to schools to educate the children in

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the benefits and necessity to use the summer meal & free and reduced lunch programs to help
themselves and their families.

FIGURE 1. 2011 PERCENTAGE FOOD

INSECURE HOUSEHOLDS

The diagram of the US displays the percentage of households that are food insecure. The
states with high percentages cover majority of the southern states such as Texas, New Mexico,
Arkansas and California. The states with the lowest percentages are more northern and towards
the north east area of the US. States that are included are both North & South Dakota,
Mississippi, and Wisconsin.

References
Economic Impact. (n.d.).www.nokidhungry.org. Retrieved October 27, 2014, from
https://www.nokidhungry.org/problem/economic-impact

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Child Hunger Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Feeding America. Retrieved October 26, 2014, from
http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/child-hunger/child-hungerfact-sheet.html
Alaimo, K., Olson, C., Frongillo, E., & Briefel, R. (2001, October 5). Abstract.National
Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved October 27, 2014, from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P
Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength's Teacher Report | End Child Hunger in
America - No Kid Hungry. (n.d.).Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength's Teacher Report |
End Child Hunger in America - No Kid Hungry. Retrieved October 27, 2014, from
https://secure.nokidhungry.org/site/SPageN
Sonya jones, S., Laraia, B., Haughton, B., & Jahns, L. (n.d.). Lower Risk of Overweight
in School-aged Food Insecure Girls Who Participate in Food Assistance. JAMA Network.
Retrieved October 27, 2014, from
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=481402