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From: orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: The Reason For Hunger
Message-ID: <547@whuts.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Feb-86 09:22:10 EST
Article-I.D.: whuts.547
Posted: Tue Feb 18 09:22:10 1986
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> 
> Definitions:  HUNGER is the chronic underconsumption of food and
> nutrients.  MALNUTRITION is a broad term indicating an impairment to
> physical and/or mental health resulting from failure to meet nutrient
> requirements.  
> 
> The major findings of *Hunger in America* are:
> 
> --Hunger is a problem of epidemic proportions across the nation.
>   Available evidence indicates that up to 20,000,000 (one out of
>   twelve Americans) may be hungry at least some period of time each 
>   month.  See below for detailed explanation of how this figure was
>   determined.  It was supported by extensive and thorough field
>   research.
> --Hunger in America is getting worse, not better.
> --Malnutrition and ill-health are associated with hunger.
> --Hunger is the result of federal government policies (i.e., of bad
>   policies).
> --Present policies (1985) are not alleviating hunger in America.
> 
> Richard Carnes, ihnp4!gargoyle!carnes

An excellent article!
I would just like to confirm this article with unscientific and
unrepresentative personal evidence.  My wife is studying to be a
nurse and had to do some interning in a hospital in Newark.
Many of the patients there have severe health problems which
have been greatly exacerbated by poor nutrition.
Of particular concern to our future is the number of mothers
with inadequate nutrition and prenatal care before giving birth.
Many studies have shown that poor nutrition in early childhood
can be permanently disabling.  Poor nutrition in early childhood
retards proper brain development - once this development is
retarded it can not be corrected.  This means that these children
may never be able to acquire the skills needed in our highly
technological society because their brain development has been
permanently harmed by poor nutrition.
 
This is what I find particularly galling about Reagan's cuts in
school meal programs - I don't care if we subsidize the middle
class kids as well if we can help insure that a generation will
get the nutrition needed for education and later jobs.

  "Let'em eat bullets!"
     Nancy Reagan, 1984

           tim sevener   whuxn!orb