Poverty in America

[Muse]

I'm out to dinner last night and hear "4 in 10 kids in America go to bed hungry." I'm "wha???? You're nuts!" She says Rachel Maddox said so. I'm "B.S." What's the truth? :|

 

[ichy]

Sounds like a "fact" made up by an activist group whose main purpose is to perpetuate their own existence.

 

[nehalem256]

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Overweight-in-Children_UCM_304054_Article.jsp

Overweight children in the US

For non-Hispanic whites, 31.9 percent of males and 29.5 percent of females.
For non-Hispanic blacks, 30.8 percent of males and 39.2 percent of females.
For Mexican Americans, 40.8 percent of males and 35.0 percent of females.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Overweight-in-Children_UCM_304054_Article.jsp

For 40% of children going to bed hungry an awful lot seem to be overweight.

Maybe they ate all the food in the house for bfest and lunch and their parents haven't had a chance to restock yet?

 

[PokerGuy]

Anyone who believes anything madcow has to say is stupid for starters. The 1 in 4 number comes from various groups set up to end hunger in the US, like alliance to end hunger. Here's their quote:

16.7 million American children—nearly one in four—live in households that do not have access to enough nutritious food to lead active, healthy lives.

So it's not really that there is not enough food, it's that they live in a household without enough nutritious healthy food (hello chips, ice cream and junk food).

Not to say that child hunger and malnutrition is not a problem -- it is. As usual though, you have to take comments from people like madcow for what they are, ideological drivel from the terminally stupid.

 

[rudder]

The only reason that many kids would go to bed hungry is because the parents fell asleep drunk or smoked too much crack. There is no other excuse. Charities, food stamps, free school lunches, etc... While that 4 in 10 number may be true... it is likely not from a lack of resources. I mean a child can't do a whole lot if a parent trades food stamps for smokes.

 

[nehalem256]

The only reason that many kids would go to bed hungry is because the parents fell asleep drunk or smoked too much crack. There is no other excuse. Charities, food stamps, free school lunches, etc... While that 4 in 10 number may be true... it is likely not from a lack of resources. I mean a child can't do a whole lot if a parent trades food stamps for smokes.

This. The irony about complaining that "4 in 10 children go to bed hungry" is that they are really claiming that foods stamps, etc are essentially wholesale abused.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Its about 66 million arcording to the census bureau that lives in poverty and food insecurity in 2012.


A chart that somewhat can tell about where: (Note chart is based on 2011 numbers.)

And alittle humour:

 

[nehalem256]

Its about 66 million arcording to the census bureau that lives in poverty and food insecurity in 2012.


A chart that somewhat can tell about where: (Note chart is based on 2011 numbers.)

And alittle humour:

How do you come up with 66 million. If ~10% of Americans are food "insecure" and the population is around what ~320million shouldn't it be closer to 32million?

EDIT: Oh it appears like you are suppose to add the insecure and very low together to get ~15% or 48 million.

 

[ShintaiDK]

EDIT: Oh it appears like you are suppose to add the insecure and very low together to get ~15% or 48 million.

Plus those ~50 million are 2011 numbers, not the 2012 number thats ~66 million.

 

[nehalem256]

Plus those ~50 million are 2011 numbers, not the 2012 number thats ~66 million.

I seriously doubt it jumped 33% in one year, especially given the relative stability of the previous years on the chart.

 

[cwjerome]

"Trouble feeding family members at some point in 2011" is vague and rather meaningless. Between food banks, food stamps, and other assistance, practically nobody should really be hungry. Most of the small amount of real food issues is the result of massive personal irresponsibility, and then there are those even fewer with mental issues or are treated cruelly. There is so much food in this country, so much food waste, and so much obesity it's nuts. The small problems in the niches should be addressed yet it's not remotely the widespread issue some would think.

 

[nehalem256]

"Trouble feeding family members at some point in 2011" is vague and rather meaningless. Between food banks, food stamps, and other assistance, practically nobody should really be hungry.

Well if you sold all your food stamps for drugs and had problems feeding your family members then you would be food "insecure". :awe:

But you make a good point. It seems like this is really a measurement of government benefits abuse than a measure of actual "hunger" problems.

 

[ShintaiDK]

I seriously doubt it jumped 33% in one year, especially given the relative stability of the previous years on the chart.

Both numbers comes from the Census Bureau, so...

EDIT: Seems the counting method was changed in 2012. Before that they used cost of living metrics from 1955.

 

[exdeath]

Notice the worst spots are those that have been invaded by Mexico.

Minorities driving Mercedes while their 15 baby's daddies are nowhere to be found.

Cry louder.

 

[Incorruptible]

Notice the worst spots are those that have been invaded by Mexico.

Minorities driving Mercedes while their 15 baby's daddies are nowhere to be found.

Cry louder.

And nobody wants to address this problem, They use up the welfare and destroy the country. Most "poor people" aren't actually poor, the stats are switched around to make the situation look worse

 

[SaurusX]

But Obama told me the economy is roaring back. How can poverty and hunger be increasing if everyone has jobs now?

 

[Incorruptible]

But Obama told me the economy is roaring back. How can poverty and hunger be increasing if everyone has jobs now?

As usual the POS obama lied, he has only made the situation worse

 

[Doppel]

I have heard it before and it is bullshit. Food insecure is not the same as going hungry and going hungry means nothing without qualification. Hungry once a week? Every day? Once a year?

It is true that he poor have lower access--and willingness--to eat healthy food, and it is nutritionally low but given that the poorer in this country are typically fatter saying 40% of kids go hungry is a worthless stat. Aren't poor people financially insecure about EVERYTHING?

 

[Gunslinger08]

As with 75% of statistics, this is probably made up.

 

[BoberFett]

I'm out to dinner last night and hear "4 in 10 kids in America go to bed hungry." I'm "wha???? You're nuts!" She says Rachel Maddox said so. I'm "B.S." What's the truth? :|

What's the childhood obesity rate? They may be going to bed hungry, but it's not for lack of food.

 

[Gunslinger08]

What's the childhood obesity rate? They may be going to bed hungry, but it's not for lack of food.

I go to bed hungry sometimes because I'm too lazy to walk downstairs to the pantry.