In the United States, hunger still persists amid plenty

Published: 2004-04-16

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- It is one of American society's great ironies that in a land where obesity is a multibillion-dollar health issue, and television programs like "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan" dabble in liposuction and tummy tucks as a matter of course, hunger remains a persistent and growing problem. In 2002, the last year for which full statistics are available, Catholic Charities USA provided food services to 4.69 million people through food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, home-delivered meals and other services. Bread for the World, which issued its annual report on domestic and international hunger issues April 14, noted that hunger and "food insecurity," the uncertainty over being able to obtain safe and nutritious food in a socially acceptable way, affected nearly 35 million people -- including 13 million children -- in 2002. It was the third year in a row the figure had increased, after a steady downward trend that started in 1995. The good news in the report is that the number of people actually experiencing hunger -- having to go without meals -- dipped from 3.9 percent of the population in 1995 to 3.5 percent in 2002.

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