Via Left in Alabama, 247WallSt.com reports that one in five Americans is on food stamps. Food insecurity is the highest it has been since USDA started keeping track of it in 1995. Not shockingly, Alabama is the worst:
Total % of Households With Very Low Food Security: 6.8%
Median Income: $40,489
% Below Poverty Line: 17.5%
Unemployment: 8.9%
Obesity: 31%Although 15% of Alabama households faced food security issues between 2007 and 2009, 6.8% have experienced hunger due to very low food security. This is twice as many as the 3 years prior. Additionally, the state has the highest rate of very low food security in the country. In total, about 1,860,000 households require food assistance in Alabama.
I am still waiting for someone to explain to me how a hungry child makes America stronger. Paging Dr. Starner Jones, MD:
The states where hunger is more prevalent than the national average are also often states in which a high percentage of the people live below the poverty line. Poor people also eat cheaper, less nutritious food which may lead them to have higher incidences of obesity and additional health problems.
Mind you, Alabama also has the world’s most regressive taxation system. We actually tax groceries. When you ask someone down here why things are this way, they will tell you it’s because Alabama is a poor state. See how that works?
