The US Department of Agriculture highlights how the United States in
the last decade, despite increased aggregate wealth, slid back
significantly in terms of food insecurity as measure of poverty. With
everyone now focused on the unemployment situation, it bears noting
that even before the downturn in the economy there had been a large
surge in food insecurity nationwide.
The Guardian says:
Food insecurity – defined by the USDA as when "food
intake … was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times
during the year because the household lacked money and other resources
for food" – afflicted 14.6% of Americans in 2008. ie, some 50
million people were too poor to guarantee being able to put food on the
table.
The table below, also from the Guardian, …
