school lunchIt was quite controversial several years ago when the USDA changed the language it used to discuss food security.  They took out the word HUNGER.  As you can imagine, organizations that work in the hunger arena were horrified. And outraged.  Politically, it meant that they lost a compelling word.  Think about it–

24% of children in So-and-so county experience very low food security.

Now think about:

24 of children in So-and-so county are hungry.

They, in this case, mean the same thing. It was the same score using the same instrument.  But which one makes you feel the need to do something?

Don’t let the language fool you.  Insufficient access to enough food, both in terms of quantity and variety, is still an issue for children, the elderly, and the unlucky.  Check out your knowledge about hunger using this interaction tool or read through Feeding America’s facts.

Let us know if you do anything to support anti-hunger programs in your community in the comments.

This post is in support of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s Kids Eat Right Month.