Jared Van Eyken
ENG 100
Essay #2: This I Argue
Due: 6/30/14
A Bigger Problem than we Thought
The purpose of the documentary A Place at the Table, is to shed light on the hunger problem in America. "There is a hunger crisis taking place across the United States, and it is likely to get even worse. As of 2012, 49 million Americans suffer from food insecurity, defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as lack of access to “enough food for an active, healthy life.”(MSNBC). There are a lot of factors that are associated with hunger in America, food deserts, low income, and food insecurity. Food insecurity should not be a problem in America because we have the resources to provide for Americans but we do a very poor job doing so. Food insecurity causes a lot of problem in children from the ages of new born to three.
Living in a household where food insecurity is a problem and can be very harmful to young children who are in the developmental stage of life. In A Place at the Table, Barbie tells us that her son Aiden has a speech impediment problem and cognitive thinking disabilities because of the nutrition he wasn't getting as a baby. “Higher rates of hospitalization, iron deficiency anemia, and chronic health conditions are reported among food-insecure children. Studies also report that food insecurity is associated with higher rates of behavioral problems in three-year-olds,” (childtrends). A big part of way Aiden has his problem is also due to the fact his mother isn't getting paid enough to buy the right food. She is limited to what her food stamps can provide and the problem with that is they don’t allow her to buy all the healthy food she wants, but rather food that she can feed her family. Because of the problems Aiden has now, he can face major problems in school. Hunger has a huge effect on children in the classroom.
Rosie, a Colorado fifth grader, who also suffers from food insecurity, has her problems in the classroom. Because she is hungry at school, she doesn't pay attention and it is harder to learn and pick up skills in the classroom.”Food insecurity, particularly when experienced in the earliest primary grades, also has a significant detrimental effect on non-cognitive classroom measures, such as interpersonal skills, self-control, and the group of competencies (including attentiveness, persistence, and flexibility) termed "approaches to learning,"(childtrends). “Sometimes I think that my teacher is a banana and then I get distracted because my stomach begins to growl,”(A place at the Table). “The 2014 edition of “Map the Meal Gap” tracks trends in food insecurity between 2011 and 2012. In all likelihood, subsequent policy decisions in Washington have caused food insecurity to rise even higher. Feeding America and other anti-hunger organizations have yet to quantify the damage done by the 2013 food stamp cuts and the further cuts included in the 2014 Farm Bill,” (MSNBC). There are ways that we as a nation can beat food insecurity and it starts in Washington.
Washington needs to change to policies in which are in place for SNAP, (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and allow those who use SNAP more access to healthier foods. “In the US, policy change that champions sustainable, locally produced food, including increased incentives for local farmers and for markets where fresh, healthful food is available, can increase food security. This, along with the increasing acceptance of food stamp (SNAP) benefits at local food outlets such as farmers’ markets, may improve access to healthful food and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables,” (sustainabletable). According to MNSBC’s article Food insecurity is at historic highs and getting worse, “about 27% of food insecure people—including 32% of food insecure children—live in households which are ineligible for food stamps, the main public assistance program dedicated to combating hunger. That’s because food stamps only go to households with an income at or below 185% of the poverty line,” (MSNBC).
Food insecurity is a major problem in America and A Place at the Table, is just one of the ways people are trying to spread awareness of this growing issue. People should be concerned with the rising percentage of food insecurity. These kids can grow up to our new leaders but if we keep up with the poor program support, these kids will live shorter lives in our history since three generations ago. (A Place at the Table). We need to be able to rise our kids with the right nutrition so they don’t develop cognitive problems at a young age and do those problems don’t affect the same kids in the classroom preventing them from succeeding in their studies and pursuits of a better education.
Works Cited
"Food Insecurity." Child Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=food-insecurity>.
"Food Security & Food Access." GRACE Communications Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2014. <http://www.sustainabletable.org/280/food-security-food-access>.
"A Place at the Table | TakePart." A Place at the Table | TakePart. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://www.takepart.com/place-at-the-table>.
Resnikoff, Ned. "Food Insecurity Is at Historic Highs and Getting Worse." Msnbc.com. NBC News Digital, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hunger-the-us-historic-highs>.
ENG 100
Essay #2: This I Argue
Due: 6/30/14
A Bigger Problem than we Thought
The purpose of the documentary A Place at the Table, is to shed light on the hunger problem in America. "There is a hunger crisis taking place across the United States, and it is likely to get even worse. As of 2012, 49 million Americans suffer from food insecurity, defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as lack of access to “enough food for an active, healthy life.”(MSNBC). There are a lot of factors that are associated with hunger in America, food deserts, low income, and food insecurity. Food insecurity should not be a problem in America because we have the resources to provide for Americans but we do a very poor job doing so. Food insecurity causes a lot of problem in children from the ages of new born to three.
Living in a household where food insecurity is a problem and can be very harmful to young children who are in the developmental stage of life. In A Place at the Table, Barbie tells us that her son Aiden has a speech impediment problem and cognitive thinking disabilities because of the nutrition he wasn't getting as a baby. “Higher rates of hospitalization, iron deficiency anemia, and chronic health conditions are reported among food-insecure children. Studies also report that food insecurity is associated with higher rates of behavioral problems in three-year-olds,” (childtrends). A big part of way Aiden has his problem is also due to the fact his mother isn't getting paid enough to buy the right food. She is limited to what her food stamps can provide and the problem with that is they don’t allow her to buy all the healthy food she wants, but rather food that she can feed her family. Because of the problems Aiden has now, he can face major problems in school. Hunger has a huge effect on children in the classroom.
Rosie, a Colorado fifth grader, who also suffers from food insecurity, has her problems in the classroom. Because she is hungry at school, she doesn't pay attention and it is harder to learn and pick up skills in the classroom.”Food insecurity, particularly when experienced in the earliest primary grades, also has a significant detrimental effect on non-cognitive classroom measures, such as interpersonal skills, self-control, and the group of competencies (including attentiveness, persistence, and flexibility) termed "approaches to learning,"(childtrends). “Sometimes I think that my teacher is a banana and then I get distracted because my stomach begins to growl,”(A place at the Table). “The 2014 edition of “Map the Meal Gap” tracks trends in food insecurity between 2011 and 2012. In all likelihood, subsequent policy decisions in Washington have caused food insecurity to rise even higher. Feeding America and other anti-hunger organizations have yet to quantify the damage done by the 2013 food stamp cuts and the further cuts included in the 2014 Farm Bill,” (MSNBC). There are ways that we as a nation can beat food insecurity and it starts in Washington.
Washington needs to change to policies in which are in place for SNAP, (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and allow those who use SNAP more access to healthier foods. “In the US, policy change that champions sustainable, locally produced food, including increased incentives for local farmers and for markets where fresh, healthful food is available, can increase food security. This, along with the increasing acceptance of food stamp (SNAP) benefits at local food outlets such as farmers’ markets, may improve access to healthful food and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables,” (sustainabletable). According to MNSBC’s article Food insecurity is at historic highs and getting worse, “about 27% of food insecure people—including 32% of food insecure children—live in households which are ineligible for food stamps, the main public assistance program dedicated to combating hunger. That’s because food stamps only go to households with an income at or below 185% of the poverty line,” (MSNBC).
Food insecurity is a major problem in America and A Place at the Table, is just one of the ways people are trying to spread awareness of this growing issue. People should be concerned with the rising percentage of food insecurity. These kids can grow up to our new leaders but if we keep up with the poor program support, these kids will live shorter lives in our history since three generations ago. (A Place at the Table). We need to be able to rise our kids with the right nutrition so they don’t develop cognitive problems at a young age and do those problems don’t affect the same kids in the classroom preventing them from succeeding in their studies and pursuits of a better education.
Works Cited
"Food Insecurity." Child Trends. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=food-insecurity>.
"Food Security & Food Access." GRACE Communications Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2014. <http://www.sustainabletable.org/280/food-security-food-access>.
"A Place at the Table | TakePart." A Place at the Table | TakePart. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://www.takepart.com/place-at-the-table>.
Resnikoff, Ned. "Food Insecurity Is at Historic Highs and Getting Worse." Msnbc.com. NBC News Digital, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 June 2014. <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hunger-the-us-historic-highs>.