timosman
07-03-2015, 02:00 PM
http://www.mercurynews.com/san-jose-neighborhoods/ci_27509104/bay-area-whos-hungry-campaign-shows-hunger-silent
Childhood hunger or food insecurity in the Bay Area may often go undetected, but a campaign led by the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics seeks to bring visibility to the issue.
The "Who's Hungry" photo exhibit includes 20 photos of Bay Area children who appear to be healthy and well-fed, yet half are "food insecure." The exhibit, shared at the Hunger Action Summit on Jan. 30 at Santa Clara University, is part of a broader campaign reaching out to pediatricians, schools and communities to promote awareness of the issue. The photos will be included in the campaign materials.
The California Chapter of AAP "wanted to remind the medical community that, even in a land of plenty, there are children and families who do not have enough food to eat, who face hunger each day and may go unnoticed," said Gena Lewis, chapter president and pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. "This was the inspiration for the 'Who's Hungry' project."
It is estimated that one in four California children have food insecurity, which can contribute to learning and behavior issues as well as health problems, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lewis points out that children who are going to bed hungry may even be overweight due to taking in inexpensive high-calorie, low-nutrient foods.
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The Academy is encouraging health care professionals to routinely ask families about their food security during the past 12 months. The hope is that through the screening, those who indicate they either ran out of food and had no money to purchase more or those who worried they would run out of food before payday will be referred to food and nutrition resources in the community.
The campaign is in its early stages, but posters and ads should start appearing across North California soon, starting with federally funded health centers.
At the Hunger Action Summit, organized by Second Harvest Food Bank and Santa Clara University, the hunger index and hunger gap for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties were revealed.
While the gap between meals families need and meals acquired through money or food assistance programs has shrunk since last year's study, low-income families in both counties were still short by 176 million meals. The estimation for the 2012 meal gap was 184 million meals.
Second Harvest is providing nearly 250,000 people with food each month through its network of food banks and pantries across the two counties.
"It's a good sign that the improving economy may finally be helping some of the families we serve," said Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. "But hunger remains a serious issue in our community. Too many of our neighbors aren't getting enough to eat, and that can have serious implications for their health."
Childhood hunger or food insecurity in the Bay Area may often go undetected, but a campaign led by the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics seeks to bring visibility to the issue.
The "Who's Hungry" photo exhibit includes 20 photos of Bay Area children who appear to be healthy and well-fed, yet half are "food insecure." The exhibit, shared at the Hunger Action Summit on Jan. 30 at Santa Clara University, is part of a broader campaign reaching out to pediatricians, schools and communities to promote awareness of the issue. The photos will be included in the campaign materials.
The California Chapter of AAP "wanted to remind the medical community that, even in a land of plenty, there are children and families who do not have enough food to eat, who face hunger each day and may go unnoticed," said Gena Lewis, chapter president and pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. "This was the inspiration for the 'Who's Hungry' project."
It is estimated that one in four California children have food insecurity, which can contribute to learning and behavior issues as well as health problems, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Lewis points out that children who are going to bed hungry may even be overweight due to taking in inexpensive high-calorie, low-nutrient foods.
Advertisement
The Academy is encouraging health care professionals to routinely ask families about their food security during the past 12 months. The hope is that through the screening, those who indicate they either ran out of food and had no money to purchase more or those who worried they would run out of food before payday will be referred to food and nutrition resources in the community.
The campaign is in its early stages, but posters and ads should start appearing across North California soon, starting with federally funded health centers.
At the Hunger Action Summit, organized by Second Harvest Food Bank and Santa Clara University, the hunger index and hunger gap for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties were revealed.
While the gap between meals families need and meals acquired through money or food assistance programs has shrunk since last year's study, low-income families in both counties were still short by 176 million meals. The estimation for the 2012 meal gap was 184 million meals.
Second Harvest is providing nearly 250,000 people with food each month through its network of food banks and pantries across the two counties.
"It's a good sign that the improving economy may finally be helping some of the families we serve," said Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. "But hunger remains a serious issue in our community. Too many of our neighbors aren't getting enough to eat, and that can have serious implications for their health."