Hunger in America

In the Fitchen article, I thought it was astounding how even though there are more people who need food assistance than previous years, governmental food aid has decreased because of stricter food stamps guidelines. Even though the article seems to be a little dated, poverty and food insufficiency has only gotten worse. I grew up near the Pittsburgh area and was aware that it was rated one of the most livable cities in the United States, but I did not know that infant mortality rates for African Americans were some of the highest in the country there and were often related to malnutrition.

Other than the physical health concerns of malnutrition, Heflin et al. also points out that food insufficiency can also lead to serious mental health problems, such as depression. With the addition of these mental health problems, food insufficiency places an even greater burden on individuals and families trying to escape poverty.

Why does hunger not seem like a great concern to most Americans when about 15% of households are food insecure and it affects every county in the United States?

http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/hunger-and-poverty/hunger-and-poverty-fact-sheet.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/