The Effect of Socioeconomic Status on Hunger

What’s your favorite food to eat? A juicy hamburger? A steaming bowl of warm ramen? That sounds delicious, as something to enjoy once in a while. After all, most of us cannot afford to eat out every day, for health reasons, but mainly for financial reasons. However, not everyone gets to enjoy our privileges of us.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), approximately 37.9 million Americans, or just under 12%, now live in poverty.

Those who live in poverty scramble to find their next meal, and can only dream about deciding between pasta and Chinese food for dinner. As APA writes, “rising inflation and an uncertain economy are deeply affecting the lives of millions of Americans, particularly those living in low-income communities.” Hunger may be a word commonly tossed around, oh, I’m hungry, let me grab a snack, let’s go out for dinner. However, hunger is a danger to many, and is their worst fear. The World Health Organization (WHO) that hunger numbers have risen to as many as 828 million in 2021, and even says that the “State of Food Security and Nutrition report shows the world is moving backward in efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.”

Have you heard of inflation? When you go out to eat, do you remember a small dinner that never cost over $50 for your entire meal? Now, their prices are nowhere to be found. According to USA Today (qtd. U.S. Department of Agriculture), the cost of feeding a family of four a healthy diet can run from $146 to $289 per week. In a year, that would be $7,592, on just food alone, frugally. Now, let’s take a look at low income. Those earning $30,000 for a family of four are considered low-income. That comes out to around 25% of the earnings would be going towards food. To be realistic, a regular restaurant with waiters and fancy plating would cost around $100 for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Out of that $146, one meal would cost around 70% of that. The idea of only a family spending $146 is quite unrealistic, which is why the middle class tends to veer closer to the 200 dollar mark. The upper class, however, would be at the top of the scale. Quite predictably, the idea of a “regular dinner” between the upper class and the lower classes would vary drastically, but what’s to say that the lower class would go hungry?

Using data from 2021, 9.8% of the population has gone hungry, compared to 8% previously in 2019, and nearly 924 million people in the US experienced food insecurity, which has gone up by 207 million in the past few years. The reason? This is mainly because of inflation, and people not being able to afford goods to feed themselves and their families. In 2020, 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet due to inflation in consumer food prices caused by the pandemic’s economic impacts. The pandemic has caused many of those in the lower classes to go hungry, and the current inflation has only worsened the effect on them. Those who cannot afford food suffer dangerous consequences, especially children, with 45 million

children working against wasting, which is the deadliest form of malnutrition, and 149 children facing stunted growth because of the lack of essential nutrients in their diets.

Luckily, SDG 2, Zero Hunger, has been one of the main focuses of the United Nations. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals established in 2015 aim to “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” (United Nations 2023). In my opinion, in order to close socioeconomic gaps to give everyone the food that is necessary for growth, we must do our part as well. We must stop wasting food, and donate the food that is unnecessary to food donation centers. Every dollar donated supports a better future for those who have gone hungry!

References:

Association, American Psychological . “Mental Health Effects of Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness on Children and Teens.” Apa.org, May 2024, www.apa.org/topics/socioeconomic-status/poverty-hunger-homelessness-children#:~:text=Approximately%2037.9%20million%20Americans%2C%20or%20just%20under%2012%25%2C. Accessed 14 June 2024.

Hellmich, Nanci . “Cost of Feeding a Family of Four: $146 to $289 a Week.” USA Today,1 May 2013,www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/grocery-costs

forfamily/2104165/#:~:text=The%20USDA%20uses%20national%20food%20intake%20data%20and. Accessed 14 June 2024.

Nations, United . “Sustainable Development Goals | United Nations Development Programme.” UNDP, 2024,www.undp.org/united-states/sustainable-development-goals. Accessed 14 June 2024.

World Health Organization. “UN Report: Global Hunger Numbers Rose to as Many as 828 Million in 2021.” World Health Organization, 6 July 2022,www.who.int/news/item/06-07-2022-un-report--global-hunger-numbers-rose-to-as-many-as-828-million-in-2021. Accessed 14 June 2024.