Content area
Full Text
In the past, Government-sponsored surveys have not been designed to measure the extent of hunger in the United States. The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) evidence on this topic comes from answers to one specific question asked in its 1989-91 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII). The survey asked a nationally representative sample of 6,718 households which statement best described the food eaten in their household: ( 1 ) "Enough of the kinds of food we want to eat," (2) "Enough, but not always what we want to eat," (3) "Sometimes not enough to eat," or (4) "Often not enough to eat." Findings indicate that at least 2.5 percent of U.S. households sometimes or often do not get enough to eat.
Researchers have called these households "food insufficient," a term which has served as a proxy measure for hunger. This same question has been asked on various nationally representative USDA food consumption surveys since the late 1970's. Because surveys are conducted infrequently and methods have varied among surveys, it is not appropriate to infer a national trend of food sufficiency from responses to this question. However, much can be learned about the factors that underlie food sufficiency by reviewing responses reported at specific points in time.
Characteristics of Those Who Do Not Get Enough to Eat
Since the late 1970's, between 2.5 and 3.6 percent of U.S. households sometimes or often do not...