Hunger, a Third World Problem, Affects a Sixth of the U.S.

The number of Americans without enough to eat has reached the highest level since the federal government began keeping track 14 years ago.

About 49 million people — including almost one of every four children — lived with hunger last year, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's an increase of 13 million people since 2007, when the recession began.

During the 1980s, Reagan administration officials argued that hunger no longer existed in the United States. It did then, and it still does today.

Families living with hunger spend about one-third less on food than those who don't go hungry, the new USDA report says. Their average spending is often less than what the federal government estimates is needed for a "thrifty meal plan."

About one third of those living with hunger were forced to skip meals, cut portions or otherwise do without at some point during the prior year.

The remainder relied on food stamps, food pantries or other assistance to get enough to eat.

As Thanksgiving approaches, those families have plenty of company.

Food pantries around the country are reporting record demand, even with increases in the number of people receiving food stamps.

That has prompted many to hold special food drives. Food drives can help temporarily, but the nation's new economic dislocation appears to be systemic.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday that rising hunger is caused by increased unemployment. The national unemployment rate has topped 10 percent, and many experts fear it will continue to grow.

But research has shown that many families coping with hunger have at least one adult working full time. That mirrors the plight of the uninsured, many of whom live with at least one family member who works. Those statistics suggest the problem isn't just a lack of jobs, which would be resolved when the economy improves, but also a lack of jobs that pay enough to live on.

The USDA report concludes that hunger is a sporadic problem for many families. But children can be permanently harmed if they don't receive nutritious meals during their formative years. About 3.9 million of the nation's hungry households have at least one child younger than 6.

It's unconscionable that children in the wealthiest nation that the world has known should go hungry.

This is not about politics; it is about simple justice.

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