FA: Myths & Facts

MYTH: They do not need help – they receive food stamps. Facts: The 2010 Feeding America Hunger Study found that on a national level only 41% of the people seeing emergency food assistance from the food banking system receive food stamps. This percentage is the same for the state of Louisiana and increased to 55% for the twelve parishes of Northeast Louisiana. Another important finding of the Feeding America National Hunger Study was that the monthly food stamp allowance lasts about three weeks. The name of the Food Stamp program has been changed to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

MYTH: They are not hungry – they are fat. Facts: Those who do not have adequate resources for a nutritious diet adopt a strategy of buying cheaper, high calorie, less nutritious food (think starch and grease). This leads to the obesity paradox; people get fat without getting real nutrition which in turn leads to all sorts of health problems. The epidemic of childhood and adult diabetes in this nation is a direct result of this eating strategy.

MYTH: The children are getting enough to eat from the school lunch and school breakfast programs. Facts: The school lunch and breakfast programs do not provide an evening meal or food during weekends, holidays, and vacation. In addition the participation rates have dropped off drastically in the school breakfast and summer feeding programs. In 2009 there were 586,243 children in the Louisiana school lunch program; 243,399 children in the school breakfast program; and 26,640 in the summer food service program. While the national feeding programs are a great help, they are woefully short of filling the nutritional needs of our “at risk” children.

MYTH: The vast majority of children in the United States are always food secure. Fact: An analysis of 30 years of data done by FRAC (Food Research and Action Center) found that nearly half of all American children will have to depend upon food stamps at some point in their childhood.

MYTH: Low income families are illegal aliens, or immigrants. Fact: Seventy-two percent of low income families in the United States are products of American-born parents.

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