Food insecurity rears its head

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=869080&category=ROSENFELD&BCCode=&newsdate=11/21/2009 ^

[MNDude]

As many families gather for this splendid holiday feast, there are too many others who in the year suffer the American equivalent of hunger. This is more like deprivation and thankfully not the clinical malnutrition and starvation it is in the Third World.

At the same time, this super-rich nation is also battling what is described as an epidemic of overweight and obesity. Obesity, according to the experts, is mushrooming faster than any other health problem. If not slowed down, it will exact $344 billion in health care costs in 2018. By that time 43 percent of Americans, or 103 million people, would be obese.

snip

To no one's surprise, minorities here too suffer the most, far above the national average. As one consequence, minorities are most afflicted by food shortages and obesity at the same time.

[FromLori]

You know I don’t agree with foreign aid anyway I see it as a forced redistribution of my tax dollars and worse yet if we have to be forced or stolen from I would prefer the money went to our own citizens.

[brytlea]

I really don’t buy the idea that you have a food shortage and you are obese. This is nonsensical. You might be making poor eating choices, but you would have the resources to eat nutritional food.

[D-fendr]

Dumb Shopper: The one with food shortage and obesity at the same time.

[Bryanw92]

>>As one consequence, minorities are most afflicted by food shortages and obesity at the same time.

If we made a drinking game that required all Freepers to take a shot every time a story pops up that says that minorities and/or women hardest hit, we’d all be dead from alcohol poisoning in a week.

[Gaffer]

I grew up in a house that had no running water, when you swept the floor, you didn't need a dustpan, all you had to do was to sweep it between the cracks and let if fall to the dirt. The outhouse was there, and the well (appropriately far enough from the well). As a boy, I can remember many times getting a bath in a big washtub.

The house wasn't modernized until 1958 with running water and bathroom. Even so, in the early 60s, I can remember Thanksgiving was great with TWO (countem, TWO) Swanson Turkey TV dinners. It's a matter of perspective.

[Venturer]

The obesity wil soon stop ans Obama and his Commie pals in the Congress wil make obesity punishable by fine and imprisonment.

[americanophile]

I’m not insensitive to people struggling to put food on the table, but food in this country is astonishingly cheap. Especially compared to say, Europe. I think if you can’t find cheap food in America, you’re just not looking hard enough:

http://www.tacobell.com/valuemenu/

[hennie pennie]

You should write a book. Do you happen to have a blog where you’ve posted any stories about your childhood? You’re a good writer, and have good material.

[KarlInOhio]

If we made a drinking game that required all Freepers to take a shot every time a story pops up that says that minorities and/or women hardest hit, we’d all be dead from alcohol poisoning in a week.

Women and minorities are more likely to read stories about women and minorities, therefore they would be the hardest hit by your drinking game.

[KosmicKitty]

the American equivalent of hunger

Having to eat a frozen Butterball turkey instead of a Bell & Evans fresh organic free-range bird??

(I know that there are folks in this country hurting right now, but round these parts, there are so many agencies who go out of their way to find people to give baskets to, and so many of those getting the baskets are morbidly obese & sign up with everyone they can find so they get several free turkeys!)

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Heck, we’re all gonna die from Antarctic ice melt anyway.

Pass that bag of donuts over here, Bubba.

[Kieri]

My husband had a 10% pay cut all summer and we’re still recovering, but we have it pretty rich compared to a lot of our friends and neighbors. One guy next door lost his job last summer and his house is up for sale; another passed away about a month ago from an illness, leaving a wife and several kids.

Michigan is running a constant shortage in food pantries. In the past Meijer would put together a package in a large, paper sack that customers could buy for $10 to go to the local needy. This year they switched to special cards. The Salvation Army kettle ringers seem to be out early and Sam’s Club lets them set up.

I’m trying to put a few extra dollars in the kettles this year.

[ez]

We are rapidly approaching the time where it will become immoral to be obese while others are hungry. Will they lock fat people up and starve them thin?

[nascarnation]

Not gonna happen.
A large number of Baraqqi supporters are overweight.

[calex59]

Yes indeed, the new crisis, born out of fear that the health care bill might not pass. If anyone in the US is going hungry, how do we have an obesity problem? According to the government we are all too fat but starving to death also. Sorry, libs, can’t have it both ways.

[calex59]

If we made a drinking game that required all Freepers to take a shot every time a story pops up that says that minorities and/or women hardest hit, we’d all be dead from alcohol poisoning in a week.

A week? He**, I would give it two days!

[boop]

I’ve given out baskets for Thanksgiving. It is true that alot of the people were obese, but in almost every case they were grateful for the help. Except for the welfare recipient with the 50” TV in his living room.

[sionnsar]

and the well (appropriately far enough from the well).

Yah. You don't want them wells getting too close to each other.

Next thing you know, you've got a sinkhole.

[cherry]

people can cancel their cable, their cells, their Blockbuster accounts, their magazines and newspapers,etc.....

I don't think adults are starving....maybe the children because some adults would rather keep the cable, the cell, the Blockbuster, the magazines and newspaper rather than making meatloaf and macroni and cheese at home..