We may think of hunger as a problem in far away countries, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has a very sobering statistic that they’re trying to make people aware of: about 16 million children live in homes without enough food.
Now, they’re pushing to bring that number down by asking doctors across the nation to change how they conduct routine visits and making screening for hunger a part of checkups, according to a New York Times report.
The problem is that help is available for many of these families in the form of food banks and other assistance, but many parents either don’t realize it or are too embarrassed to ask for help. So the AAP is asking pediatricians to start screening patients for what is called “food insecurity,” which is when a child either doesn’t get enough to eat on a regular basis or lives in a home where food is scarce.
If a doctor is able to identify a child that is going hungry, he or she can direct the parents to agencies that will provide help for the child and the family as well.
More than a humanitarian issue, it’s actually a public health and economic issue as well. Kids that don’t get enough to eat are sick more often and have more visits to the hospital. In general, they tend to be in poorer health than kids who are properly nourished.
And far from being just a small percentage of the population, the AAP estimates that 16 million children just in this country fall into the food insecurity category.
It’s a bit difficult to nail down the exact numbers, as there hasn’t been much research into childhood hunger.
The reason why AAP believes doctors are key to bringing that number down is that not only do they have the expertise to spot cases of food insecurity, but they are in a position of trust that gives them access to kids and their families. They can screen them by asking two very simple questions: do you ever worry about food running out, and do groceries last long enough before more money is available to buy more. The AAP says that 97 percent of people with food insecurity answer yes to one of those questions.
The screening could also help parents get over the embarrassment of asking for help.
The AAP’s news release on the issue can be found here.