Press Releases

On the House Floor today, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Chair of the Congressional Hunger Center, spoke about the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recent announcement recommending that pediatricians treat hunger as a health issue and help connect families with community resources that will strengthen access to healthy food. AAP is a national organization representing 64,000 pediatricians across the country. Watch video of Congressman McGovern’s floor speech here.

“One of the greatest health challenges facing our country right now is hunger. For far too long, we haven’t viewed hunger as a health issue. For our nation’s youngest and most vulnerable – our children – the negative effects of childhood hunger are pervasive and long lasting,” Congressman McGovern said on the House floor. “So last week, I was pleased to see the American Academy of Pediatrics release its newest policy statement, which for the first time, recommends that pediatricians screen all children for food insecurity.

“Without our robust federal anti-hunger programs, there would no doubt be more hungry children in this country […] The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – is our nation’s premier anti-hunger program and helps millions of low-income families afford to purchase food every month. About half of all SNAP recipients are children. And our school breakfast and lunch programs, summer meals, and Child and Adult Food Care Program all provide nutritious meals to children.

“And we can’t forget about the incredible work that our food banks, food pantries and other charities do to provide healthy food for low income children and their families,” McGovern added. “I commend the American Academy of Pediatrics for working to solve hunger as a health issue and addressing how it affects our country’s greatest resource – our children. I can think of no more compelling reason to end hunger now than for the health and well-being of America’s children.

The full text of Congressman McGovern’s speech is below. Click here for video of today’s speech.

As Prepared For Delivery:

“One of the greatest health challenges facing our country right now is hunger. For far too long, we haven’t viewed hunger as a health issue. For our nation’s youngest and most vulnerable – our children – the negative effects of childhood hunger are pervasive and long lasting.

“So last week, I was pleased to see the American Academy of Pediatrics release its newest policy statement, which for the first time, recommends that pediatricians screen all children for food insecurity. The new recommendations consist of two simple questions for pediatricians to ask parents of young children at their annual well visit to identify and address childhood hunger.

“It also recommends that pediatricians become more familiar with our robust system of anti-hunger programs at the federal, state and local levels. When pediatricians know more about these anti-hunger programs and the resources they provide, they will be better prepared to help families in need.

“Pediatricians are among the most respected – if not the most respected – voices on children’s issues and I hope that, with the AAP’s policy statement, more people will start paying attention to the devastating effects of childhood hunger on America’s future.

“It is shameful that childhood hunger even exists in this country – the richest country in the world. That one in five children lives in a food insecure household. That 17.2 million households in this country struggle with food insecurity. That the only reliable, healthy meal some kids receive is the one they get through school breakfasts or lunches. That mothers and fathers are forced to skip meals so their children can have more to eat because the family simply can’t afford to put enough food on the table.

“The harmful effects of hunger on children are well-documented. For example,

• Children who live in households that are food insecure, get sick more often, recover more slowly from illness, have poorer overall health and are hospitalized more frequently.
• Children and adolescents affected by food insecurity are more likely to be iron deficient, and preadolescent boys dealing with hunger issues have lower bone density. Early childhood malnutrition is also tied to conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.
• Lack of adequate healthy food can impair a child's ability to concentrate and perform well in school and is linked to higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems from preschool through adolescence.

“And I’ve personally heard from pediatricians who see children in the emergency room come in for a common cold that’s become much worse because they don’t have enough to eat. Stories like these are heartbreaking.

“We know that consistent access to adequate nutritious food is one of the best medicines for growing, thriving children. Children’s HealthWatch, a national network of pediatricians and child health professionals, found that, in comparison to children whose families were eligible but did not receive SNAP, young children whose families received SNAP were significantly less likely to be at risk of being underweight or experiencing developmental delays.

“If Members of Congress aren’t swayed by the moral arguments for ending childhood hunger, they ought to be swayed by the economic ones. Ensuring that our kids have access to enough nutritious food saves money in the form of reduced health care costs and helps them become productive contributors to our economy later on in life.

“Without our robust federal anti-hunger programs, there would no doubt be more hungry children in this country.

“The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children – or WIC – provides nutritious food and support for children and mothers. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – is our nation’s premier anti-hunger program and helps millions of low-income families afford to purchase food every month. About half of all SNAP recipients are children. And our school breakfast and lunch programs, summer meals, and Child and Adult Food Care Program all provide nutritious meals to children in community, child-friendly settings.

“And we can’t forget about the incredible work that our food banks, food pantries and other charities do to provide healthy food for low income children and their families. But despite the incredible work they do, charities can’t do it alone. The demand is simply too great. Charities need a strong federal partner to end hunger in this country.

“For a while now, I have been urging the White House to convene a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Hunger. We ought to bring anti-hunger groups, pediatricians, business leaders, farmers, non-profits, faith leaders, and government officials together to come up with a plan to end hunger in this country once and for all.

“I can think of no more compelling reason to end hunger now than for the health and well-being of America’s children.

“In closing, I commend the American Academy of Pediatrics for working to solve hunger as a health issue and addressing how it affects our country’s greatest resource – our children.

“We can and should do more to end hunger now.”

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