Author Topic: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!  (Read 4859 times)

Offline dedalos

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #225 on: April 08, 2011, 10:47:21 AM »
See Rule #14
« Last Edit: April 08, 2011, 02:34:23 PM by Skuzzy »
Quote from: 2bighorn on December 15, 2010 at 03:46:18 PM
Dedalos pretty much ruined DA.

Offline Reaper90

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #226 on: April 08, 2011, 11:12:56 AM »
ded, I don't think anyone in their right mind actually thinks that "hunger" does not exist in our society. The point of contention here is whether "1 in 6" is accurate or correct. I personally think that number is BS, purely because of the way they measure it.... being "food insecure" doesn't equate to hunger neccesarily, but it makes for a good billboard when you're trying to get people to pick up the phone and give your organization a credit card number....

In my business and previous jobs I've seen some of the most heinous abuses of our social welfare system (the very cause of much of our problems, oddly enough). I guess I have lost my sense of compassion for about 90% of the people who fall into some of these categories of people that everyone thinks we should feel sorry for. I mean, when a tenant tells me they don't have the rent yet there's a 52" big screen in the living room, all 3 kids have cell phones, and the husband just got a 2010 Avalanche Z71 (this was about a year ago, think $45K vehicle)... and I know for a FACT they're recieving government assistance.... I'm not feeling sorry for them. Now I know they're possibly the exception and not the norm when it comes to those "living below the poverty line" but there are still far far too many of them out there. I have numerous other ones like that, several of whom's housing is paid for 100% by Uncle Sam (i.e. you and I pay for them to have a roof, and they contribute nothing).


Edit - that being said, I'm 110% in favor of charities and other organizations that feed, clothe, and help house people.... just in an ideal situation it would transfer that away from the government (taxpayer) as opposed to providing an additional opportunity for abuse and waste on the part of a large percentage of those receiving the help...
« Last Edit: April 08, 2011, 11:16:41 AM by Reaper90 »
Floyd
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Offline Reaper90

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #227 on: April 08, 2011, 11:20:08 AM »
Hunger, true hunger isn't funny, at all.  However I'm always weary of statistics like this. What does "hungry" mean? How is it that obesity and hunger are both issues affecting the poor? Are the fat poor kids stealing the food from the hungry ones?  I have been the recipient of food shelf donations as well as a volunteer and now that I have the means, a donor. There are so many programs out there that give assistance to the needy, either with real food or with food "stamps," that I have a hard time believing that the number is as large as they claim on the billboard. I have often had to bite my tongue when I have a family come into the food pantry (often all over-weight) and they go for all the prepackaged foods that are absolute garbage.  We often have to throw away the staple foods, flour, beans, rice, canned meats et.c. because the people that frequent the pantry rarely take the foods that would benefit them the most.  In my experience, even the poor will often forgo proper nutrition and even entire meals because they lack the skills or, perhaps, the desire to actually cook for themselves.  A bag of flour, some yeast and a few other basic, inexpensive ingredients will make a lot of bread. Oh, but wait, it takes a LOT of effort to make bread and it doesn't come in "white" and it isn't presliced.  I know! There is the 5 pound bag of brown rice! Sure a little rice goes a long way but it isn't processed, covered in sugar or cheese... Hmmmm I guess the "family" sized box of shells and cheese is a better choice. It's almost completely devoid of nutrition, won't actually feed an American family but heck, all you gots to do is boil water.

Like the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  The idea that the only affordable food is fast food is silly. People who believe that need to learn to shop. Clip some coupons! I just went shopping today and coupons got me $110 worth of food for a little over $50 and this is roughly days worth of REAL food for a family of six. Buy basic ingredients instead of prepackaged and processed food. I know, I know I may have to use a knife to cut, or a whisk to mix and, perhaps, more then one pot or pan. I must be a heartless bastage for expecting others to be able to provide for themselves.

Is there real hunger in the United States? There probably is some, but I'd bet a bag of rice that a village or ten in Africa would eat like kings on what those "hungry" few have.

TRUTH.

I just had to quote this so that it would be reread......
Floyd
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Offline dedalos

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #228 on: April 08, 2011, 11:24:36 AM »
ded, I don't think anyone in their right mind actually thinks that "hunger" does not exist in our society. The point of contention here is whether "1 in 6" is accurate or correct. I personally think that number is BS, purely because of the way they measure it.... being "food insecure" doesn't equate to hunger neccesarily, but it makes for a good billboard when you're trying to get people to pick up the phone and give your organization a credit card number....

In my business and previous jobs I've seen some of the most heinous abuses of our social welfare system (the very cause of much of our problems, oddly enough). I guess I have lost my sense of compassion for about 90% of the people who fall into some of these categories of people that everyone thinks we should feel sorry for. I mean, when a tenant tells me they don't have the rent yet there's a 52" big screen in the living room, all 3 kids have cell phones, and the husband just got a 2010 Avalanche Z71 (this was about a year ago, think $45K vehicle)... and I know for a FACT they're recieving government assistance.... I'm not feeling sorry for them. Now I know they're possibly the exception and not the norm when it comes to those "living below the poverty line" but there are still far far too many of them out there. I have numerous other ones like that, several of whom's housing is paid for 100% by Uncle Sam (i.e. you and I pay for them to have a roof, and they contribute nothing).


Edit - that being said, I'm 110% in favor of charities and other organizations that feed, clothe, and help house people.... just in an ideal situation it would transfer that away from the government (taxpayer) as opposed to providing an additional opportunity for abuse and waste on the part of a large percentage of those receiving the help...


Yeah, I am not talking about everyone.  I was only responding to him saying that they do not exist.  I agree that the number may not be accurate but that is not a reason to make fun of them.
Quote from: 2bighorn on December 15, 2010 at 03:46:18 PM
Dedalos pretty much ruined DA.

Offline Reaper90

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #229 on: April 08, 2011, 11:35:24 AM »
Someone earlier in this thread said something to this effect:
Quote
A lot of impoverished people are fat. This is because the only cheap food there is is very bad for you and the stuff that is good for you is way too expensive.

No offense intended, but....

Completely and totally false. This is used as an excuse by people to cover for either laziness or ignorance.

How much $$$ does it take to eat fast food for 1 week? Even cheap, dollar menu crap? Minimum $3, $4, maybe up to $7 per meal, per person? Let's call it $5, and say you only do this 1 time per day per week, on average, family of four. That's $20 per day, $140 per week, $560 a month. I know plenty of "busy people" who eat more fast food than that. Not because they have to, but they opt for easy and quick.

You wanna think about how much rice, dried beans, vegetables, white meat pork and chicken, etc you can buy for $560 a month? Let me tell you, and I know this frome experience, you can feed a family of 4 for a half or a third of that $$ figure per month if you're smart and willing to get off your butt and get in the kitchen instead of sitting in a drive-thru once or twice a day. I keep track of our grocery budget because I do almost 100% of that shopping, and 100% of the cooking.... we rarely ever eat fast food, or order carry-out. Almost everything is home cooked, and nutritionally complete. I cook larger quantities than we need for one meal, for economy, because it is cheaper to cook once and eat 2-3 times. Most of our meals end up at less than $1 per serving in actual cost. You know the only thing all of this requires?

Effort on the part of the provider......

And there-in lie the problems that cause "poor" people to be obese or overweight..... one part ignorance, one part laziness....

"poor people are fat because they can't afford healthy food."

Now THAT is a LIE if there ever was one.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2011, 11:38:00 AM by Reaper90 »
Floyd
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Offline ink

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #230 on: April 08, 2011, 11:44:18 AM »
Someone earlier in this thread said something to this effect:
No offense intended, but....

Completely and totally false. This is used as an excuse by people to cover for either laziness or ignorance.

How much $$$ does it take to eat fast food for 1 week? Even cheap, dollar menu crap? Minimum $3, $4, maybe up to $7 per meal, per person? Let's call it $5, and say you only do this 1 time per day per week, on average, family of four. That's $20 per day, $140 per week, $560 a month. I know plenty of "busy people" who eat more fast food than that. Not because they have to, but they opt for easy and quick.

You wanna think about how much rice, dried beans, vegetables, white meat pork and chicken, etc you can buy for $560 a month? Let me tell you, and I know this frome experience, you can feed a family of 4 for a half or a third of that $$ figure per month if you're smart and willing to get off your butt and get in the kitchen instead of sitting in a drive-thru once or twice a day. I keep track of our grocery budget because I do almost 100% of that shopping, and 100% of the cooking.... we rarely ever eat fast food, or order carry-out. Almost everything is home cooked, and nutritionally complete. I cook larger quantities than we need for one meal, for economy, because it is cheaper to cook once and eat 2-3 times. Most of our meals end up at less than $1 per serving in actual cost. You know the only thing all of this requires?

Effort on the part of the provider......

And there-in lie the problems that cause "poor" people to be obese or overweight..... one part ignorance, one part laziness....

"poor people are fat because they can't afford healthy food."

Now THAT is a LIE if there ever was one.


 :lol  I wish it cost me 560$ a month to feed my family......double that plus :aok

and the better food is WAY more expensive to buy.     

trust me, I have pancreantitus and I am only allowed to eat 10 grams of fat a day....that is if I could afford the good food.

Offline Reaper90

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #231 on: April 08, 2011, 11:51:52 AM »

 :lol  I wish it cost me 560$ a month to feed my family......double that plus :aok

I was being very conservative with that number to prove a point... I know a lot of people who probably spend more than that on fast food / unhealthy food. My point was you can feed a family of 4 for about $200 a month and put very healthy food on the table every meal, if you're willing to put in the effort to shop smart, avoid junky/fatty/overpriced items, and take the time to learn to make things from raw ingredients instead of buying premade food items.

And I think you're feeding more than a family of four!  :)

Quote
and the better food is WAY more expensive to buy.

define "better" please. You mean better as in "desireable?" As in I'm buying steak... let me see, that peice of flank steak will feed all 4 of us for $7, but I want "better" steak so I'll got with the tenderloin filets at $12 each...

Or "better" as in healthier? Because "healthy" doesn't mean more money. If so, you're doing it wrong....

Quote
trust me, I have pancreantitus and I am only allowed to eat 10 grams of fat a day....that is if I could afford the good food.

What food specifically does your diet restrict you to?
« Last Edit: April 08, 2011, 11:56:27 AM by Reaper90 »
Floyd
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Offline Carrel

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #232 on: April 08, 2011, 12:07:07 PM »
See Rule #14
« Last Edit: April 08, 2011, 02:36:01 PM by Skuzzy »

Offline ink

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #233 on: April 08, 2011, 12:17:39 PM »
I was being very conservative with that number to prove a point... I know a lot of people who probably spend more than that on fast food / unhealthy food. And I think you're feeding more than a family of four!  :)

define "better" please. You mean better as in "desireable?" As in I'm buying steak... let me see, that peice of flank steak will feed all 4 of us for $7, but I want "better" steak so I'll got with the tenderloin filets at $12 each...

Or "better" as in healthier? Because "healthy" doesn't mean more money. If so, you're doing it wrong....

What food specifically does your diet restrict you to?


ok ya got me im feeding a family of 8, including me and the wife :D

by better I mean healthier, Ive seen you mention about the "rice" and what not......lol how many kids you have?     to truly feed a family properly and HAPPILY you need a good Variety, what your saying is just get the basics and that's enough. and yes Healthier food is way more expensive then the generic crap :aok

as far as "what food restrictions" like I said 10 grams of fat...period, does not matter "what" kind of food, 10 grams of fat. is all im "allowed" to eat a day, there is NO WAY I can follow that...seafood is basically FAT free, most of it IS fat free...when was the last time I had seafood.........been a long friggin time.

trust me food is something I know, I have had a disease for over 12 years that will eventually kill me(should have already), and food was the cause (specifically cheese), this disease is Pancreantitus (sp?) Acute pancreantitus (both).....I did a month in the hospital and FOUR months without eating a single thing....at the time I found out I was 270 lbs..within 6 months I weighed 175 lbs(you shoulda heard the rumors..crack head...yadda yadda yadda)....12 years Ive had this, I know people who have died within a year of getting it, and I have the worst case my doctor had ever saw.  needless to say I had to learn about "food" :aok  

Offline PJ_Godzilla

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #234 on: April 08, 2011, 12:25:58 PM »
See Rule #6
« Last Edit: April 08, 2011, 02:36:49 PM by Skuzzy »
Some say revenge is a dish best served cold. I say it's usually best served hot, chunky, and foaming. Eventually, you will all die in my vengeance vomit firestorm.

Offline DrDea

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #235 on: April 08, 2011, 12:28:50 PM »
 Its funny. I saw a sign in town today that said 1 in 8. I will have to get a shot of it.
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Offline PJ_Godzilla

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #236 on: April 08, 2011, 12:33:38 PM »
Its funny. I saw a sign in town today that said 1 in 8. I will have to get a shot of it.

 A shot of it, or one at it? All this mewling commie-talk is giving me a pain.

Kidding, just kidding... Seeing a sacred cow always just makes me want to wade in with a meat cleaver.
Some say revenge is a dish best served cold. I say it's usually best served hot, chunky, and foaming. Eventually, you will all die in my vengeance vomit firestorm.

Offline Reaper90

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #237 on: April 08, 2011, 12:44:46 PM »
by better I mean healthier, Ive seen you mention about the "rice" and what not......lol how many kids you have?

3 including the wife!  :)

Quote
to truly feed a family properly and HAPPILY you need a good Variety, what your saying is just get the basics and that's enough. and yes Healthier food is way more expensive then the generic crap :aok

Not really. I go way beyond just the basics...an average week might see dinners such as beef stroganoff over noodles with sauteed squash and onions, linquini with white clam sauce, broiled fish (usually tilapia) with white rice and steamed veggies, turkey lasagna (I've yet to have a person try my recipe and tell the difference between the same dish with beef and regular cheese in it), etc. The trick is substituting. If the recipe recipe calls for sour cream, get fat free. Fat free cheese as well. ground turkey instead of ground beef. Smoked sausage? That comes in turkey as well. Fish, but baked instead of fried.

Emeril's cookbooks and Justin Wilson's cookbooks, along with a few others, provide the basis for the recipes. Trust me, variety is never a problem!

My daughter will eat anything I cook. My 8 year old son can be a pain, but there are a few stand-bys that he'll eat if he doesn't want what I've fixed.

I guess I do have an advantage in that we garden as well, and store a lot of vegetables. We buy very few canned vegetables (high in sodium).

I've been doing it for 21 years... it isn't that hard once you figure it out.
Floyd
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Offline ink

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #238 on: April 08, 2011, 12:49:19 PM »
3 including the wife!  :)

Not really. I go way beyond just the basics...an average week might see dinners such as beef stroganoff over noodles with sauteed squash and onions, linquini with white clam sauce, broiled fish (usually tilapia) with white rice and steamed veggies, turkey lasagna (I've yet to have a person try my recipe and tell the difference between the same dish with beef and regular cheese in it), etc. The trick is substituting. If the recipe recipe calls for sour cream, get fat free. Fat free cheese as well. ground turkey instead of ground beef. Smoked sausage? That comes in turkey as well. Fish, but baked instead of fried.

Emeril's cookbooks and Justin Wilson's cookbooks, along with a few others, provide the basis for the recipes. Trust me, variety is never a problem!

My daughter will eat anything I cook. My 8 year old son can be a pain, but there are a few stand-bys that he'll eat if he doesn't want what I've fixed.

I guess I do have an advantage in that we garden as well, and store a lot of vegetables. We buy very few canned vegetables (high in sodium).

I've been doing it for 21 years... it isn't that hard once you figure it out.


ok ya convinced me,  the wife and I, and our 6 kids will be over for supper.....every day next week  :D

Offline PJ_Godzilla

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Re: 1 in 6 Americans are hungry!
« Reply #239 on: April 08, 2011, 12:54:00 PM »
Another recommendation, and  I say this as a guy who grew up in suburban Chicago: for the price of a license and a rifle/shotgun/muzzleloader, you can get pounds and pounds of extra-lean high-quality meat every fall, if you're willing to take the time.

If I can do it, anyone can, because I most certainly did not learn much about the outdoors as a child. 
Some say revenge is a dish best served cold. I say it's usually best served hot, chunky, and foaming. Eventually, you will all die in my vengeance vomit firestorm.