What has been tragically lost in the debate about health care is the connection to the hunger crisis in our country. According to Feeding America there are 42.2 million people living in food-insecure households, including more than 13 million children.
As families struggle to put food on the table, they are also vulnerable to health issues from the lack of nutrition. Bread for the World estimates $160 billion a year in health-related costs because of hunger in America. Its report states, “people who can’t always afford nutritious food have disproportionately higher rates of chronic diseases and poor health.”
So as Congress debates a new health care law, members should also be considering the costs of hunger, which have such a huge impact.
See my commentary in the Buffalo News (Sunday edition, July 2nd)
Author William Lambers 