The Mythology of Hunger

Mythology is an important part of the human condition.

Every culture has specific stories that have been passed on from one generation to the next until those stories become embedded in he very fabric of that society. Mythology impacts philosophy as religion as much as it colors the way we look at others who do not share the same perspectives we do. The interesting thing about some myths is that they are largely believed and accepted simply because they are repeated often enough to pass as verifiable.

Other myths are dispelled with a little research, and it is some of these that I want to present. I'll skip Sasquatch, the Flathead Lake Monster, and the PopRocks/Soda phenomenon so I can stay focused on something related to a topic that affects us all, but especially those living in poverty, those who are homeless, or anyone on the verge of homelessness. I would like to address the myth of Hunger in America.

Hunger in America Myth 1 - Many people in the U.S. think hunger happens in other countries but not in their country.They think droughts or crop failures are some of the reasons why people go hungry in other countries. In fact, hunger additionally strikes a lot closer to home. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 15 percent of U.S. households now are considered "food insecure," a nearly 30% increase from 2006. This indicates that, in any month, these households may be out of funds, out of food, and thereby, will miss meals or seek aid to feed themselves and their children. Even for people or children who eat 3 times a day could end up being malnourished. This is because Americans often eat cheaper costing foods such as sugary foods or other lower nutritional foods. Believe it or not, obesity is often related to hunger. Because of poor food choices and also the deficiency of healthy food choices in many residential areas. Many people might be packing on the extra pounds, but those extra pounds are often life-threatening. More than 30% of adults in America are considered obese. More and more children are becoming obese too. Heart disease and diabetes are now the leading causes of death in America. People are dying because of eating the wrong kinds of foods which often means the cheaper kinds of foods.

Hunger in America Myth 2 - Stopping malnourishment is a humanitarian issue. Children who grow to be obese adults, will limit our armed forces' capability to safeguard our nation. The military just lately cautioned that greater than 9 million young adults - (ages 17 to 24) weigh too much so they would not be eligible to enlist and this shrinks the list of candidates for military service. The expenses of poor nutrition drag the United States further into debt which leaves the country more vulnerable. In other words, America simply can not afford malnourishment or hunger in America anymore.

Hunger in America Myth 3 - Children are the only ones who go hungry. In reality, the person who most likely to go hungry in America, is the single, working mother who lives below the poverty level. Since Federal programs make sure that low-income kids will get free meals at their school, their single mothers, frequently have to make difficult choices amongst food, gas, rent, health care or other things for their kids. Many American women who face these choices simple go without meals themselves, especially nutritional food. Also, a growing number of senior citizens miss meals because they have to buy medicine. Many senior will not admit to needing food assistance, a 2007 study done by Meals on Wheels established that as much as six million are going hungry nearly every week.

I will continue the last two myths later in the week... Please stay tuned!

-information courtesy of nationalcoalitiontoendhomelessness