Earlier this week, a New York Times editorial claimed that 14.5 percent of U.S. households are experiencing “pangs of chronic hunger.” This figure is based on a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It’s misleading, though.
The 14.5 percent figure used by the Times refers to “food insecurity.” But a majority of “food-insecure” individuals report that they were never hungry—for even a day—during 2012. While many food-insecure households may have had to rely “on a few basic foods,” the majority report “few, if any, indicators of reduced food intake.”
