摘要:One in 10 American households
in 1995 was uncertain
about the availability of
regular meals sometime during the
year, and in 4 percent of households,
individuals experienced some
degree of hunger¡ªthe painful or
uneasy sensation caused by a lack of
food¡ªbecause of inadequate
resources to obtain food, according
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture¡¯s
Food Security study. The measure
of hunger in this study
includes indicators ranging from a
repeated pattern of cutting or skipping
meals (less severe hunger) to
going whole days with no food
(more severe). In fiscal year 1997,
USDA¡¯s nutrition-assistance programs,
designed to reduce the
severity and extent of food insecurity
and hunger, served an estimated
one in six Americans at a cost
of $35.8 billion.