Feed a kid. Fill a life.
Childhood hunger is pervasive, extensive and appalling. Children all across our state are going to bed hungry — and that’s simply not acceptable. Not here. Not now. Not ever.
Fortunately, the issue is solvable. It will take a concerted, focused effort on the part of our society, our lawmakers, our charitable organizations and ourselves to feed our children and feed them well. But when we do, they will be more prepared to learn, stay in school, get a job and be self-sufficient.
Let’s get busy. Because making sure all North Carolina children get sufficient amounts of wholesome, nutritious food is not just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do.
A vicious circle
“A kid who is hungry cannot learn. A kid who can’t learn drops out of school. A kid without an education can’t get a job and help America compete in the global economy. A kid without a job may turn to crime, get arrested and cost taxpayers $40,000 a year to sit in prison.”
— Robert Egger 2
Education
Inadequate nutrition is linked to delayed brain development and an impaired ability to learn. In addition, hunger and lack of nutrition result in reduced academic achievement; test scores are lower, absenteeism is higher and there are more grade repeats.
Workforce
An educated, skilled, dependable labor pool is essential for North Carolina to achieve and maintain a strong economy. But hungry children who perform poorly in school are not likely to grow up and form the core of a productive workforce.
Health care costs
Undernourished children are more susceptible to illness. Hunger and poor nutrition contribute to a number of serious medical conditions. And every time a family is forced to choose food over medicine, our health care problem grows.
Well-being
Hungry, undernourished children are typically fatigued and uninterested in their social environments, making them less likely to establish relationships, learn from their surroundings, deal with life’s challenges and make better choices. They also exhibit greater levels of anxiety, irritability, depression, hyperactivity and psychosocial dysfunction and are nearly twice as likely as nourished kids to need mental health counseling.
Crime
Teens who are not getting proper food and nutrition are more likely to steal, to fight and to be suspended from school. These are often the kids who are at risk for criminal behavior.
Family relations
Fighting is seven times more prevalent, and stealing 12 times more common, in hungry families compared to those that are well nourished.3 Many hungry families have to choose between food and other basic needs such as housing or utilities. And parents often feel guilt, shame and undue stress.
Quality of life
In NC, the percentage of adults receiving food assistance who haven’t finished high school is 41% compared to 14% of all adults nationwide.4 This strongly suggests a link between low education and the likelihood of being poor and needing emergency food assistance.
Spirituality
The energy that food produces is first used by the body to keep organs operating. Next, it’s used for growth. What’s left, if anything, is used for thought processes. So it’s extremely difficult to nourish one’s soul if the body isn’t nourished as well.
Standard of living
Children are the engine for economic growth in the United States. Hunger creates unbearable, unsustainable costs that ripple through the economy and prevent economic success. If we fail to give kids the nutrition and health supports they need in the first three to five years of life, our economy cannot fulfill its potential.5
Behavior
Virtually all behavioral and emotional problems are more prevalent in hungry children. Hungry kids have higher rates of aggression and oppositional behavior and are actually seven to 12 times more likely to exhibit conduct disorder.3
A contradiction? Not at all. Most people who are overweight are actually undernourished, with a diet that’s high in calories but low in nutrients — a diet that is frequently the least expensive to maintain.
