RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger

Childhood Hunger: Literature review Jocelyn Alejandra Navarro Veleta University of Texas at El Paso

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger

Abstract Childhood hunger is an obstacle that threatens a stable and healthy life of 21.8 percent of children in the United States. It is harmful and represents the potential for long term consequences. To eradicate this problem school food programs as well as the organizations held by private citizens were created. With the purpose of evaluating their work, this literature review is presented.

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger

Childhood hunger: A literature review. Childhood hunger, defined as the uncertainty an individual faces to obtain sufficient and nutritious food, represents a severe problem faced by the American society. About sixteen million children, according to the Feeding America Association, are suffering hunger every day. For many reasons people are not able to meet food needs. Americans living in poverty struggle every day to find the money to put food on the table, even those individuals living just above the line of poverty can be pushed into poverty by unexpected events and therefore, face food insecurity. Due to these facts, thousands of American children do not have access to an adequate nutrition. To fight and end this issue, there have been created a number of federal programs such as the NSLA (National School Food Program) held by government officials and which main purposes are to break barriers that keep children from getting healthy food, provide affordable meals, and educating families to stretch their budgets. There are also organizations and charities held by citizens and businesses leaders willing to dedicate time and provide support to children, also with the priority of getting more citizens involved in this effort. Among those programs there are Feeding America and No Kid Hungry. Throughout the years, more and more solutions to childhood hunger have been provided. Although programs have incremented some still argue the problem seems to get bigger. In order to evaluate the programs run by both the federal government and the community for which the main purpose is to end childhood hunger, it is of great importance to consider two questions.

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger 1. Are school food programs a good choice in the effort of ending childhood hunger?

2. Are the efforts the community do to end childhood hunger effective?

The purposes of the following literature review include providing information regarding the variety of programs fighting childhood hunger, discusses actions and whether they are beneficial or not. Are school food programs a good choice in ending childhood hunger? The National School Lunch Program Act or school food programs began when President Harry S. Truman signed the act in 1946, as a response for the problem of food insecurity/child hunger and had as purpose the adequate supply for food necessities and, at the same time, to enhance the chances of a better nutrition among children and prevention of consequences such as the inability of learning and growing. Accordingly to David Hail in his article School Food Programs: A good choice for children?, the food school program needs to meet four characteristics in order to consider it provides necessary and nutritious food. He mentions a develop in response to clearly defined needs, designed to meet clear articulated goals and objectives managed efficiently and effectively evaluated in terms of clear, direct and relevant program outcomes as the main requirements. But, from Hails point of view and based on surveys, objective reviews, and evaluations, these types of programs are not an appropriate solution to childhood hunger. The reasons that support this argument include that food us not available the entire year, there is no known number

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger

of the beneficiated participants, and the nutritional value in inadequate. As proposed in this article, strong solutions that might complement school programs and therefore alleviate childhood hunger may be the increase of employment opportunities, inexpensive high quality food, more child care support institutions, and support programs to single-parents. It annually costs the United States about nine billion dollars. Nevertheless, the New York Times news article No Lunch Left Behind, written by Alice Waters and Katrina Herons agrees with the fact the programs should contribute not only to help end childhood hunger but to the health of children, however they rather provide food containing the same ingredients as fast food, such as fatty acids and aliments containing high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. It is as well stated that parents show discontent towards the School Lunch Programs. In contrast and in the opinion of others, school food programs create environments in which children eat healthfully, an idea conveyed on the journal The Milkbank Quaternary by Mary Story, Marilyn Nanney, and Marlene Schwartz. Studies demonstrated that lunches served in schools are composed of competitive foods controlled by strong policies. Free lunch is accessible for children suffering food insecure. This idea is supported for the graph below, in which the progress of the NSFL and the help provided by it, is evaluated from 1969 to 2011. The information makes reference to the participation in school programs and the prices of lunches served.

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger

What efforts does the community do to end childhood hunger? Humanitarian organizations ran by ordinary people make the best of an effort in fighting childhood hunger. They consider this problem as solvable and thus seek for the engagement of individuals. Such is the case of the organization No Kid Hungry, which through donations and since summer 2011 has raised the money to provide thirty four million meals to children that face food insecurity. Another organization is Feeding America. Food banks and public assistance programs make food packages available for the needy children and their families. The results of their work are increasing percentages of healthy children, available food all year round, millions of funds raised( money and food), important restaurant brands involved in the cause, and eye opening reports. In the opposite view the community effort in fighting childhood hunger is not effective. The progress is extremely slow due a deficit of private citizens collaboration. As argued by some, charities and/or organizations do not have the strength to tackle this problem that seems to get bigger. The percentage of Food insecure among children and families living below the level of poverty are showing an almost non-noticeable decrease.

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger Conclusion

Regardless the opposing viewpoints of whether programs and organizations fighting to end childhood hunger are doing a good effort or not making a real contribution, the problem is no longer invisible. For some, there is more that can be done, more policies to create, and more programs to run. In the opinion of others, the problem that represents childhood hunger can be ended if the effort is constantly fought.The federal governments as well as American citizens constantly fight to eradicate the cause of harmful effects such as weak immune system and the deprivation of the ability to learn and grow.

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger References

Chilton, Mariana, & Rabinowich, Jenny (2010) Ending childhood hunger in America. Human Rights, Vol. 37 Issue 1, p15-16.

Congressional Digest (2010, December) Legislative Background on Child Nutrition. Congressional Digest, Vol. 89 Issue 10, p307.

Ebbeling, C. P. (2002 August). The lancet. Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense Cure. Vol. 360. Issue 9331, pages 473-482.

Felling Christy (May 2013) Hungry kids: The solvable crisis. Educational Leadership, Vol. 70 Issue 8, p56-60.

Hay, D. I. (NA). School Food Programs: A good choice for children? Retrieved from http://www.ccsd.ca/perception/234/sf.htm

Waters, Alice & Heron Katrina (2009, February 19) No Lunch Left Behind. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/opinion/20waters.html?_r=2&

RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review on childhood hunger

Jocelyn Alejandra Navarro Veleta ENG 1311 Class Period 830-920 Peer review (Extra Points) After the peer review activity I realized I need to make some changes to my literature review so that my chances of getting a B grade as minimum increase. I need to revise and edit some specific sentences so that they can sound less biased. Correcting grammar errors is another thing to be done. It is also required that I rewrite the APA citations. Checking my conclusion is of great importance. The last thing I plan on doing is adding more in-test citations. I am sure because of the effort I put to this assignment and after the peer review I will earn a satisfactory grade.