In class we watched a documentary, A Place at the Table. Below I will write a summary of the events that took place during this documentary.
Almost 50 million people are hungry, and approximately 17 million of them being children, according to . We don't recognize this because our image in society of 'hungry' is a person who is malnourished, nothing but skin and bones. In American, we see the opposite. We see obesity rising in our country due to the processed foods our nation is consuming because it is offered cheaper than fruits, vegetables, and grains. I watched a documentary in class called “A Place at the Table” where I viewed disturbing images and heard heart wrenching stories by families who deal with this struggle every day and experts in the area of hunger in the United States.. The government has encouraged the growing of of grains such as wheat, soy, and corn to be brought into the food manufactures to be made into processed foods. These processed foods are much cheaper and more accessible to those who live in food deserts (a place where finding fresh foods is challenging).
We are taken to Collbran, Colorado where we meet a fifth grader Rosie, and her teacher, Leslie Nichols who is also a food assistance volunteer. Leslie explains the difficulties Rosie experienced with her school work and Rosie admitted that this is because she is hungry. Rosie explains that she feels her “tummy growl but does not know what do to.” and that she suffers from not being able to focus during class because she is seeing her teacher as a banana and other class makes as apples and oranges, with this information Leslie finds it easy for her to relate to Rosie's problem because she was once in her position. Next we are taken to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to meet Barbie, an unemployed single mother with two children, and a hunger activist for Witness for Hunger. She uses the small benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, and even that doesn't make it through the month due to straining requirements to become eligible for public assistance. Barbie explains the difficulties of not being able to support for her youngest child who developed an immune disease by not receiving the right nutrients as a baby. The Mississippi Delta, a food desert, to meet Tremonica who is a second grade student and suffers from medical issues due to her unbalanced diet because healthy foods are more readily available in her area.
According to the documentary, 1 out of every 2 children will require food assistance at some point in their lifetime. Author of Food Politics, Marion Nestle explained that the price of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen 40% and the price of processed foods have gone down by 40%. This forces a family with limited funds to spend on food to buy fresh foods because the processed foods are cheaper and can fit more easily into their food budget. Janet Poppenendieck a sociologist, states that hunger in depicted in American is someone who is 'skinny' and looks sickly. Health issues are becoming a big issue in American due to the availability and cost of healthy foods around the country. One of the biggest issues due to this have become obesity and type 2 diabetes. Most don't recognize that hunger and obesity go hand in hand together. People that are eating processed foods, are not gaining the nutrients and vitamins their body needs. 1 in every 6 Americans face hunger and approximately 30% of families in the United States are food insecure meaning they are unsure of where their next meal will come from. Harry Truman once said “A country is only as strong as its youth. For the first time ever, this generation of children is poised to live sicker and die younger that its parents generation.”
We are taken to Collbran, Colorado where we meet a fifth grader Rosie, and her teacher, Leslie Nichols who is also a food assistance volunteer. Leslie explains the difficulties Rosie experienced with her school work and Rosie admitted that this is because she is hungry. Rosie explains that she feels her “tummy growl but does not know what do to.” and that she suffers from not being able to focus during class because she is seeing her teacher as a banana and other class makes as apples and oranges, with this information Leslie finds it easy for her to relate to Rosie's problem because she was once in her position. Next we are taken to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to meet Barbie, an unemployed single mother with two children, and a hunger activist for Witness for Hunger. She uses the small benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, and even that doesn't make it through the month due to straining requirements to become eligible for public assistance. Barbie explains the difficulties of not being able to support for her youngest child who developed an immune disease by not receiving the right nutrients as a baby. The Mississippi Delta, a food desert, to meet Tremonica who is a second grade student and suffers from medical issues due to her unbalanced diet because healthy foods are more readily available in her area.
According to the documentary, 1 out of every 2 children will require food assistance at some point in their lifetime. Author of Food Politics, Marion Nestle explained that the price of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen 40% and the price of processed foods have gone down by 40%. This forces a family with limited funds to spend on food to buy fresh foods because the processed foods are cheaper and can fit more easily into their food budget. Janet Poppenendieck a sociologist, states that hunger in depicted in American is someone who is 'skinny' and looks sickly. Health issues are becoming a big issue in American due to the availability and cost of healthy foods around the country. One of the biggest issues due to this have become obesity and type 2 diabetes. Most don't recognize that hunger and obesity go hand in hand together. People that are eating processed foods, are not gaining the nutrients and vitamins their body needs. 1 in every 6 Americans face hunger and approximately 30% of families in the United States are food insecure meaning they are unsure of where their next meal will come from. Harry Truman once said “A country is only as strong as its youth. For the first time ever, this generation of children is poised to live sicker and die younger that its parents generation.”