Free Essay Example on Hunger in America

I stand up today with agony over the state of food supply in US an aspect that has culminated into national shame due to the extensive child hunger across US. Although not every family has been experienced the challenge, the number of families that have been subject to this challenge is worthy everyones attention. I wish that the menace of hunger did not exist in US but since it is among our most daunting challenge, we cannot afford to ignore the problem. Currently, it is estimated that more than a whooping 16 million children are living in food insecure situations. This implies that about 16 million kids have been living in food insecure homestead. The main challenge of the problem is a series of malnutrition effects among children and the families at large especially with regard to lack of balanced diet. This data was obtained from the 2011 hunger review in US (Mabli, et al. 17). This situation is unacceptable and unconscionable for a society like US. The government and the civil society have an ultimate role to play in curbing the effects of hunger in US before championing other offensives to its citizens.

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Body

Hunger must never be condoned in a country like US which is considered one of the most prosperous countries on the planet. Something must be done to contain the situation and restore the dignity that the country has boasted of for centuries. By allowing any individual or family to live in hunger is itself bad enough. However, it is worse and heartbreaking to let children go hungry. The government and the civil society must arise and say no to the situation that does not only tend to denature our national values and human dignity but also tampers with our national heritage and values that this nation has taken years to build upon. However, despite the glaring insults from hunger, we have let it consume the confidence of our people every day. It is the responsible of every patriot to arise and fight hunger in US by all means. We have the potential to kick out hunger in US but what lacks is the good will on the part of both the government and the private sector.

Mr Speaker, a total of 16 million children is a significant statistics that every American patriot must be worried about but it should not simply end in a worry. This implies that about one out of five kids in US go to bed hungry and wake up hungry in their lives as per the 2011 statistics. The actual scenario is that one out of five kids in US had no idea of their next meal in 2011 and the challenge has persisted. Through our poor food and agriculture polices, we have been allowing 16 million children to spend their nights hungry, attend class lesson hungry as well as wake up hungry (Shepard & Donna et al. 37). This scenario does not in any way promote national values and integrity in our society.

Lack of proper nutrition of the society is a major challenge that we must arise and attack in unison in order to provide our kids with the best nutrition possible. Healthy foods also support good development of the kids mind and bodies. We have been tolerating the struggle of 16 million kids hunger while at school as well as experience problem due to hunger. Children hunger has many impacts on the society and individual kids. For instance, it hampers proper development. Such kids suffering hunger are also susceptible to health problem and obviously more expensive health care than their counterparts with sufficient food supplies. At times, the lack of food may also lead to learning disabilities (Cohen et al. 21). In particular, hunger denies children the abilities to concentrate. Such problems may result into under-education which significantly imposes critical long-term effects such as low-paying jobs throughout once life and unemployment may also result.

Secondly, despite the existence of many anti-hunger safety programs in our country, we continue to suffer the challenge over time. We must stand to analyze our route map to stopping hunger by identifying stimulating programs that are intended to define a hunger-free society. Some of the anti-hunger programs in our country are specifically focused to children. One of the biggest anti-hunger programs in US is the SNAP, an entity that has been making countless efforts to stimulate fight against hunger (Shepard & Donna et al. 20). However, a lot need to be done to enhance its operations. Another initiative that we have made over time includes the National School Breakfast Program as well as the National School Lunch program that are intended to enhance the food situation among the poor children. Although these measures have been put in place, the situation of hunger remain a major challenge to the society in US seeking additional measures such as Afterschool Snacks and Meal Program.

Due to the existing loopholes in the programs and initiatives that have been established, there is a daunting need to establish strategic measures that pose long-term solutions to the problem. For instance, the policymakers must seek to establish mechanisms that are meant to create elaborate and cost-effective food production and the distribution of natural resources across the entire society in our country. We cannot afford to live in a country termed richest globally but our people die of hunger or malnutrition-related problems. Our country is considered the wealthiest globally. Besides, our agricultural sector is also quite flourishing with bounty abundance in the global history. However, is this reflected in the food situation of our country? Every individual must ask themselves, what could be the source of the prevailing imbalances in our country. Currently, we are all aware or have an idea that about 49 million of our citizens are ravaged with food insecurity.

These statistics have often been overlooked despite their immense effect on the health, education and other social aspects of the American citizens. Food insecurity has also trapped a significant number of people enduring poverty while fueling health challenges such as obesity. Food insecurity also denies the country a minimum $167.5 billion per year as per the statistics from Center for American Progress (Shepard & Donna et al. 31). Policymakers, the government and the civil society must arise to deface the issue of food insecurity in order to restrain the problem of food insecurity.

To enhance food security in our country and further realize other essential national priorities including fixing public education sector and reduce crime rates, we have to stop hunger across America. These measures must start with stopping child hunger across the U.S. The problem of children hunger is a major challenge that all people must attack since it poses significant risk to every citizens either directly or indirectly. For instance, hunger raises the crime rates in the society. Consequently, with a hungry society, even the richer are unsafe in their daily chores as crime will influence their business. Besides, the totals costs associated with solving problems posed by hunger are significant to resolve the problem of hunger with long term effect sobering up the society at large.

Thirdly, the lawmakers have attempted to make a roadmap to resolving food crisis in US. For instance, you are aware of the Federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill. This bill has been seeking to pass through congress and become a legislation which in effect will provide qualifications or eligibility, enhance reimbursement rates, provide critical nutrition guidelines and disburse funding for programs associated with Women, Infants and Children (WIC) (Shepard & Donna et al. 41). In effect, these programs are believed to create long term empowerment to enhance food supply across the entire land. Our country requires use of comprehensive measures that are considerate of the third party effects by involving all the stakeholders in the food sector.

With little to no consultations with the stakeholders and the society at large, the legislative measures that are being executed in the country have had little to negative impacts on enhancing food security. For instance, the enactment of the Bill on the afterschool snacks and summer meals for children in 2010 resulted in a counter effect with an impact of increasing child hunger since the Bills enhancement toward schools meal had been paid in full through reductions in Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) advantages, 50 percent of which is meant for children (Shepard & Donna et al. 33). This instance shows one among many futile legislative initiatives that has been ineffective in achieving the roles they have been focused towards.

Finally, all the stakeholders in the food sector must be involved fully in order to generate effective solutions to the problem of food supplies. Currently, the president and the Congress must seek to use some of the current bills on food supply to kids to raise the entire child nutrition funding, provide elaborate school breakfast as well as lunch for students. However, these measures have short-term solution and must seek to provide long-term measures to counter the problem of hunger across our country. Measure to contain hunger are effective mechanism that will address other related challenges but should consider creating long-term effects as opposed to short-term gains that has been manipulated by political interests.

Works Cited

Cohen, R., et al. "Hunger in America 2010. Mathematica Policy Research, Feeding America."(2010).

Mabli, James, et al. Hunger in America 2011 National report prepared for feeding America. No.b2c52ed1a1ca45d0952012dc19a6a2fe. Mathematica Policy Research, 2011.Print.

Shepard, Donald S., Elizabeth Setren, & Donna Cooper. "Hunger in America Suffering We AllPay For." Center for American Progress (2011): 1-24.