What causes hunger?

Health

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by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

Hunger is the feeling we get when we haven’t eaten in a while and our bodies are ready for more nutrition and energy! While it’s not difficult for lots of people to find something to eat when they’re hungry, for some people it’s not so easy. These people experience what’s sometimes called “chronic hunger,” meaning that they’re hungry a lot of the time, which is a problem because a lack of food can cause people to be sick, malnourished, and unable to have the strength to work, play, or lead a very healthy life.

Not everyone who experiences chronic hunger is in that situation for the same reason. According to experts, there is enough total food in the world to feed everyone properly, but the difficulty is that food isn’t distributed evenly, and so some people don’t have access to what they need to eat. Sometimes this happens because of problems like natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, big storms, fires) or war and fighting, which cause supplies in certain places to become limited. Other times this happens because a country or its people can’t afford to grow enough food, or they don’t have the resources (like roads and transportation) to bring food to those who are hungry. Occasionally a certain region also can’t grow food because their natural resources have been overused or ruined.

Even though it’s challenging, lots of individuals and organizations are working to help people who are hungry get the food they need. Beyond just giving people food, we can work to bring people the supplies, resources, and knowledge they need to grow food for themselves. Ask a grown-up to help you find ways you can get involved in fighting against hunger!

- The reason some countries and people can’t afford to grow food is that having a productive farm or garden requires supplies like seeds and equipment, as well as services like irrigation (supply of water). Affording these supplies and services is challenging in some places.

- There are also some places that can’t grow food because natural resources have been overused or ruined. Farmed land needs time and proper care to replenish itself so more food can be grown. In some places, land has been damaged from too much growing and not enough replenishing.

If you feel concerned about the idea of hunger, talk to your family! Ask them to speak with you openly about where your food comes from and what kinds of resources there are in your community for those who are hungry.