In these times, the majority of the world is able to take it for granted – the availability of food. However, there are still some 800 Million people who do not get enough to eat – for various reasons – and World Food Day, sponsored by the United Nations, is meant to draw attention to the fact that there’s still lots of work to be done to achieve Zero Hunger.
In many places around the world, hunger means no food, it means starvation – literally. In the US, hunger is a health issue. People facing hunger usually get enough calories, but they get the wrong calories – junk calories – that lead to any number of diet related health issues – diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease and more.
Hunger can be caused by drought, by politics, by natural disasters, by lack of knowledge and bad habits. It’s complex. In the US – it’s primarily marked by lack of access to healthy food. The rates of obesity and diabetes among people who are food insecure are depressingly high, simply due to their consumption of unhealthy food.
#GiveHealthy is celebrating World Food Day with a NYC Launch. This unique multi-faceted event, co-sponsored with Foodtank and The World Hunger Organization – USA, to support Hurricane Relief, will consist of a variety of health, wellness, hunger relief and social good activities. The United Nations has marked it as an Official World Food Day event – how cool is that?
So on this World Food Day – we’re doing our small part to raise awareness that hunger is a health issue – here in the US and in most other developed countries. And to shine some light on those struggling with hunger in the traditional sense – whether due to disasters or for human caused reasons – that we can all work to solve.
