Child hunger is a growing problem all over the world, but right here in the United States it is probably a bigger problem than you might think. “According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 15.3 million children under eighteen in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food necessary for a healthy life” (“Child Hunger”). These children are in every community and could be sitting beside your child in their classrooms. In 2013, the top five states that were said to have the highest rates of food insecurity under eighteen was: Washington D.C., Mississippi, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Georgia, with North Carolina not trailing too far behind and accounted in the top ten
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In other words in our state alone, we have thousands of children going hungry from being food insecure. North Carolina has several cities with some of the highest levels of food insecurity in the nation that includes Greensboro, High Point, Asheville, and Winston-Salem (“Hunger in North Carolina”). Especially concerning are the cities in North Carolina with some of the highest rates of hungry children in the nation, we need to take action on this problem. In New Hanover County alone, “twenty-five percent of children in our county experience food insecurity” or going hungry each and every day (“The Problem”). Hunger can have a major effect on a child and you can see changes in attitude in their life and …show more content…
The women during pregnancy who are food insecure can increase the risk of the baby having major complications during birth and into their early years of life. “Pregnant women who experience food insecurity are more likely to experience birth complications…inadequate access to food during pregnancy has been shown to increase the risk for low birth weight in babies…food insecurity has also been linked with delayed development, poor attachment, and learning difficulties in the first two years of life” (“Child Hunger”). These are major problems that happen to babies all the time due to their mother’s inability to meet adequate nutritional needs. When a child does not receive the right amount of nutritious foods it affects the child’s mental and physical health from in school to day to day activities. Children who experience food insecurity require more hospitalizations with the factor they are at risk for chronic health conditions, and overall have a poor quality of life (“Child Hunger”). With these serious health conditions, it can hinder their ability to concentrate, impede learning and participation in activities in school and the community. Not only can the children’s health suffer from being hungry, but also a change in behavior can occur. Children who are food insecure are so focused on their hunger; they lose perspective on getting to school on time or even getting there at all. When they are in
In other words in our state alone, we have thousands of children going hungry from being food insecure. North Carolina has several cities with some of the highest levels of food insecurity in the nation that includes Greensboro, High Point, Asheville, and Winston-Salem (“Hunger in North Carolina”). Especially concerning are the cities in North Carolina with some of the highest rates of hungry children in the nation, we need to take action on this problem. In New Hanover County alone, “twenty-five percent of children in our county experience food insecurity” or going hungry each and every day (“The Problem”). Hunger can have a major effect on a child and you can see changes in attitude in their life and …show more content…
The women during pregnancy who are food insecure can increase the risk of the baby having major complications during birth and into their early years of life. “Pregnant women who experience food insecurity are more likely to experience birth complications…inadequate access to food during pregnancy has been shown to increase the risk for low birth weight in babies…food insecurity has also been linked with delayed development, poor attachment, and learning difficulties in the first two years of life” (“Child Hunger”). These are major problems that happen to babies all the time due to their mother’s inability to meet adequate nutritional needs. When a child does not receive the right amount of nutritious foods it affects the child’s mental and physical health from in school to day to day activities. Children who experience food insecurity require more hospitalizations with the factor they are at risk for chronic health conditions, and overall have a poor quality of life (“Child Hunger”). With these serious health conditions, it can hinder their ability to concentrate, impede learning and participation in activities in school and the community. Not only can the children’s health suffer from being hungry, but also a change in behavior can occur. Children who are food insecure are so focused on their hunger; they lose perspective on getting to school on time or even getting there at all. When they are in