Comments on: A Staggering Statistic http://www.momsrising.org/blog/a-staggering-statistic/ Where Moms and the people who love them fight for a better America Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:57:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sarah http://www.momsrising.org/blog/a-staggering-statistic/comment-page-1/#comment-36231 Sarah Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:37:55 +0000 http://www.momsrising.org/blog/?p=3403#comment-36231 @Stefan Gunther, Here's where we got the 1 in 4 number: CBS News, Nov. 16, 2009 1 in 7 Americans Went Hungry in 2008 Highest Number since USDA Began Tracking Food Security Levels in 1995: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/16/national/main5673056.shtml I've pulled out the portion below below: "The report also showed an increasing number of children in the United States are suffering food insecurity. In 2008, 16.7 million children were classified as food insecure, 4.3 million more than in 2007. Hunger advocates said they were not surprised by the numbers, and said the numbers for children, in particular, were lamentable. "What should really shock us is that almost one in four children in our country lives on the brink of hunger," said David Beckmann, the President of Bread of the World, a hunger advocacy organization. " @Stefan Gunther, Here’s where we got the 1 in 4 number: CBS News, Nov. 16, 2009
1 in 7 Americans Went Hungry in 2008
Highest Number since USDA Began Tracking Food Security Levels in 1995: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/16/national/main5673056.shtml

I’ve pulled out the portion below below:

“The report also showed an increasing number of children in the United States are suffering food insecurity. In 2008, 16.7 million children were classified as food insecure, 4.3 million more than in 2007.

Hunger advocates said they were not surprised by the numbers, and said the numbers for children, in particular, were lamentable.

“What should really shock us is that almost one in four children in our country lives on the brink of hunger,” said David Beckmann, the President of Bread of the World, a hunger advocacy organization. “

]]> By: Stefan Gunther http://www.momsrising.org/blog/a-staggering-statistic/comment-page-1/#comment-20087 Stefan Gunther Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:46:05 +0000 http://www.momsrising.org/blog/?p=3403#comment-20087 How do you arrive at the "1 in 4" figure? As far as I can tell, it is drawn from Table 1 B on page 7 of the report--the 2008 figure listed refers to 22.5% of households "with low or very low food security among adults or children" (note the all important "or"!). The corresponding figure for households "with very low security among *children*" (my emphasis) is 1.5%. The report further states, "Children in most food-insecure households—even in most households with very low food security—were protected from reductions in food intake. However in about 506,000 households (1.3 percent of households with children), one or more children were also subject to reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some time during the year (table 1B)." (p.5) So, it's a bit more complicated than the 1 in 4 figure indicates--and "on the brink of hunger" isn't exactly a well-defined term, at least not in the terms the report defines. I'm as liberal as the next person (probably more so), but this sort of hyperbole not only gives liberals a bad name, but is also counterproductive, because it can be easily dismissed for what it is: irresponsible exaggeration. Isn't the overall case the report makes, namely that food insecurity at large does seem to be on the rise dramatic enough? Stefan How do you arrive at the “1 in 4″ figure? As far as I can tell, it is drawn from Table 1 B on page 7 of the report–the 2008 figure listed refers to 22.5% of households “with low or very low food security among adults or children” (note the all important “or”!). The corresponding figure for households “with very low security among *children*” (my emphasis) is 1.5%. The report further states, “Children in most food-insecure households—even in most households with very low food security—were protected from reductions in food intake. However in about 506,000 households (1.3 percent of households with children), one or more children were also subject to reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some time during the year (table 1B).” (p.5) So, it’s a bit more complicated than the 1 in 4 figure indicates–and “on the brink of hunger” isn’t exactly a well-defined term, at least not in the terms the report defines.

I’m as liberal as the next person (probably more so), but this sort of hyperbole not only gives liberals a bad name, but is also counterproductive, because it can be easily dismissed for what it is: irresponsible exaggeration.

Isn’t the overall case the report makes, namely that food insecurity at large does seem to be on the rise dramatic enough?

Stefan

]]>