Scary Facts About Hunger & Obesity
More than 38 million Americans are food insecure, hungry or at risk of hunger.
39% of the America’s Second Harvest Network clients are children, representing one in ten of all children in America.
According to the USDA, 13.8 million children live in families that suffer from hunger or live on the edge of hunger (ERS).
70% non-elderly families that used food pantries had earned income in the past year (From the Urban Institute’s 2003 report).
Four million non-elderly low-income families said they had used a food pantry at least once during the past year.
39% of households that sought emergency food assistance from our Network have at least one adult employed (Hunger Study 2001).
11% of the 23 million served by the America’s Second Harvest Network are senior citizens.
44.7% of all surveyed households in “Hunger in America 2001” study reported having to choose between buying food and paying for utilities or heat.
More than 1/3 (35.7%) said they had to choose between buying food and paying for housing.
30% of the families surveyed were forced to choose between buying food and paying for medical care or medicine.
At the current rate, “nearly four out of 10 Americans will be obese within five years if people keep packing on pounds.”
About 31%, or about 59 million people, are obese, which is defined as roughly 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight.
Almost 65% are either obese or overweight, 10 to 30 pounds over a healthy weight.
For women, ages 20 to 74, 62 % are overweight (Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or more) and about half of that population is obese (BMI of 30 or more).
Approximately 30.3 % of children (ages 6 to 11) are overweight and 15.3 % are obese.
For adolescents (ages 12 to 19), 30.4 % are overweight and 15.5 % are obese.
If the entire morbidly obese (Body Mass Index of 40 or more) population lived in one state, it would be the 12th state in population.
The statistics on hunger in America are from America’s Second Harvest.
The statistics on obesity are from a USA Today article from 2003 and the American Obesity Association.
tags: none
You may also enjoy...
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
