Childhood Hunger
1 in 7 children in Utah faces the pain and stress of hunger. Food-deprived children not only feel the physical pain of an empty tummy, but when an empty tummy makes it hard to concentrate in school, it hurts their future, too. Hungry children are more likely to be chronically absent from school, and when they do attend, have a hard time concentrating. These children often feel powerless, afraid, and hopeless, and all too often what little food they can access isn’t enough to provide the nutrition their developing bodies need.
Children facing hunger are more likely to be hospitalized and suffer physical, emotional, and developmental impairment. All of this makes education—a central means of obtaining financial security—far more difficult. The long-term effects are especially costly; adults who experience hunger as children are less well-prepared mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially to perform in today’s workforce and educational environments. And then, the cycle repeats itself.
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