The recession has exposed a weak link in the U.S. economy that’s rather surprising: our food system. As the unemployment rate rises, so does the number of people who face chronic hunger. Currently, 15% of the population is struggling to get enough to eat. Simultaneously, over 34% of Americans are obese, and weight-related medical bills cost the country around $147 billion per year. That’s 9% of all health care spending.
How is it possible to be dealing with hunger and obesity at the same time? The answer is that Americans are eating too much of the wrong foods, and not enough of the right foods. Hunger and obesity are opposite sides of the same issue: malnutrition.
As the LA Times reported this past Wednesday, a variety of political figures have stepped up to tackle the food issue. Michelle Obama recently launched Let’s Move!, a campaign to combat childhood obesity that focuses on eating healthful foods and exercising. But as politicians in Los Angeles are discovering, socio-economics affects accessibility to quality calories.
Our city is plagued with food deserts, large geographical areas where fresh food vendors don’t operate, which tend to engulf low-income neighborhoods. When residents make the effort to get to a grocery store or farmer’s market, they’re faced with skyrocketing food prices. It’s much easier, and often more economical, to eat at one of the many fast-food chains that always seem to find a way into food deserts. As the documentary “Super Size Me” proved, a fast-food diet is a road to self destruction.
I work for the Jewish Federation of Greater LA, and I’m proud to say that we recognized the emerging importance of food as a social and economic issue early on. We jumped in to help solve the problem by creating the Fed Up With Hunger initiative. And our efforts are beginning to be noticed in the broader community. The LA Times article mentioned cites our “Blueprint to End Hunger” as a one of the driving forces behind the move toward “better coordination of public agencies’ efforts to fight hunger.”
Read “Food Politics in L.A.: Hungry for Change” »
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