Introduction: In his article, “5 Myths about hunger in America,” Robert Egger (2010) links hunger to obesity, malnourishment, economic and national security, as well as wastefulness, jobs and wages. He discusses the myth that hunger is thought to only exist in poor countries and points out the increasing number of American families affected by hunger. Egger (2010) goes on to describe how malnourishment and obesity are linked to hunger due to government subsidies promoting consumption of poor food choices. He focuses on the idea that though many people are getting three meals per day, they are not nutritious meals and are therefore increasing rates of obesity related illnesses and death (Egger, 2010).
Egger (2010) concentrates on how the cycle of hunger in children affects learning, which increases school dropout rates, reduces employment rates, thus reducing national economic security while promoting a life of crime. He connects hunger and obesity again by focusing on how a large number of young adults are too obese to join the military, consequently decreasing the number of military eligible citizens and therefore decreasing national security. Through discussion regarding how federal programs provide poor children with meals at school, Egger (2010) describes that single working mothers and the elderly are most likely to have to prioritize other costs and needs over feeding themselves.
Finally, Egger (2010) focuses on the success of his own programs, for-profit businesses which utilize excess foods (that would otherwise be wasted) from hotels and restaurants to feed the poor while providing culinary job training for the unemployed, as a way to combat hunger on a national level. He discusses how his programs provide culinary training and living wages to unemployed people, many of whom are “felons or former drug addicts” (Egger, 2010). While promoting