In the World Health Organisation study referred to in my last post, 'food poverty' was defined as existing where children ‘sometimes, always, or often’ went to bed, or to school, hungry because there was not enough food at home. Either there was no food in the house, or it wasn’t edible because nobody in the house had used it to cook a meal. Parents were letting their children go hungry because they did not have the time, nor the energy, nor the will, nor the organisational know-how, to provide proper regular meals for their family.
It was found that children from both private and state schools suffered food poverty. Far from being a phenomenon of the disadvantaged, or uneducated classes, in some cases, the rate actually rose slightly amongst the wealthier classes. Following hot on the heels of the WHO study, a British study carried out by the reputable Institute of Child Health backed up the findings, showing that the children of middle class families, where both parents worked long hours outside the home, were most likely to suffer obesity and diabetes. They found a direct correlation between the hours worked by mothers and the risk of their children being obese.
Blessings on your table!
The Intellectual Foodie
10.2.09
Crisis in the Making
I recently came across a shocking study that should give us pause for thought on our attitudes to food. The reputable and comprehensive study was carried out by the World Health Organisation Collaborative Research program and published in 2007. It took place in 35 countries across Europe, the USA and Canada. It is sadly ironic, that in this area of the globe which we call the ‘first world’, the study found that food poverty amongst children is widespread and is not linked to financial poverty. Here are some of the countries who scored shocking results:
In Britain, one of the world's oldest and richest economies, with its consolidated inter-generational wealth, going right back to the days of empire, the rate of food poverty among children in the year 2007 was 15%.
Ireland, while ranked the second richest country in the world, bloated on the fast, brash, arriviste wealth of its Tiger-economy-years, had 16% of children in food poverty.
The USA was even worse----despite the conspicuous wealth and bravado of its national narrative, for almost a quarter of its children, the American dream is a hollow one----an alarming 22% were hungry.
There is something quite askew in our culture when our richest nations cannot organise their societies in a manner in which their children are not hungry. In the coming weeks, I shall be exploring the reasons behind these remarkable findings.
Blessings on your table!
The Intellectual Foodie
www.your-healthy-eating-helper.com
In Britain, one of the world's oldest and richest economies, with its consolidated inter-generational wealth, going right back to the days of empire, the rate of food poverty among children in the year 2007 was 15%.
Ireland, while ranked the second richest country in the world, bloated on the fast, brash, arriviste wealth of its Tiger-economy-years, had 16% of children in food poverty.
The USA was even worse----despite the conspicuous wealth and bravado of its national narrative, for almost a quarter of its children, the American dream is a hollow one----an alarming 22% were hungry.
There is something quite askew in our culture when our richest nations cannot organise their societies in a manner in which their children are not hungry. In the coming weeks, I shall be exploring the reasons behind these remarkable findings.
Blessings on your table!
The Intellectual Foodie
www.your-healthy-eating-helper.com
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