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Study: Hunger on the rise in L.A. County
By: North County Times Wire Service | ∞
LOS ANGELES -- Hunger is on the increase in Los Angeles County, it was reported today.
A study by the county Department of Public Health says the number of households not getting enough to eat increased 17% between 2002 and 2005. That amounts to approaching half a million families.
"It's ironic and sad that in this land of plenty, so many have to make do with so little," Dr. Jonathan Fielding, department director, told the Los Angeles Times.
The study looked at what the department calls "food insecurity," which refers to limited or uncertain access to adequate nutrition. It has been blamed for chronic illnesses but also obesity, mental illness, depression and children's poor performance in school.
Although in recent years the number of poor people across California and nationwide facing unreliable food sources has remained steady, the population going hungry in L.A. County has been on the rise, particularly among Latino families, the disabled or unemployed and those with children. Public health officials have largely attributed the jump to the number of low-wage workers living in a region with a high cost of living.
Families with little or no access to nourishing meals -- who often live in areas where fast food is one of the few available dining options -- are more likely to be obese, according to the county report. Los Angeles City Council is considering imposing a moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in South L.A.
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