Child Health: Growing Issue in the US


Posted on 05-27-2009	Translate this page

One usually thinks of child rights and health problems as being rampant in many developing countries; increasingly, however, the impact and visibility is emerging in developed countries such as the US and the UK. An article by Heather Hajek published on Health News, 11 May 2009, states: "Based on the 2005-2007 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Agriculture Department, at least 17 percent of children across America have the potential to go hungry. Children who lack proper nourishment during their developmental stages of life risk long-term affects, such as developmental, behavioral, and academic problems. Children are a key component to our future, and nourishment is significant to children prospering, both mentally and physically. Thousands of children go hungry across the United States daily. The government has developed ways to ensure school-aged children are provided nutritious meals each school day. However, it may be hard for the government to extend this assistance to children aged five and under, which are not in school. A new study recently conducted by a non-profit anti-hunger group called Feeding America, concentrated primarily on hunger in children below the age of five. The group found that approximately 17 percent of children in this age group are at risk of going hungry. They found that 11 states actually had more than 20 percent of children under five who were at risk of going hungry. They included the top state of Mississippi, then North Carolina, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho and Arkansas. Feeding America operates centers to feed the hungry around the U.S" To read more, click here.