Title
Authorizing the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services to hold hearings regarding ending child hunger in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, According to Children's HealthWatch, 20 percent of the households in the City of Philadelphia are considered food insecure; and
WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Agriculture, child food insecurity is defined as the state in which people do not have access to enough food in order to live an active and healthy lifestyle or do not know where the majority of their meals will come from; and
WHEREAS, Food insecurity is especially harmful amongst children because of the risk of increased vulnerability and the potential for harmful consequences in their futures; and
WHEREAS, Several studies have supported the conclusion that food insecurity amongst children has an impact on cognitive development, school performance, and can cause an increase in illness and associated health costs; and
WHEREAS, According to Feeding America, a nonprofit, nationwide network of food banks, inadequate nutrition caused by food insecurity in children has the possibility of permanently altering the architecture of a child's brain and stunting their intellectual capacity which can affect their learning, social interactions, and productivity. Moreover, when children are victims of food insecurity, they lose the potential for cognitive growth that they may never regain; and
WHEREAS, Food insecurity can lead to the frequent hospitalization and a poor physical quality of life for children; and
WHEREAS, Food insecurity amongst children is linked to childhood obesity because families have to purchase cheaper foods that are high in calories and that may have little nutritional value; and
WHEREAS, Food insecure households experience substantial hardship because they have to struggle to pay for food, health related expenses and other basic expenses such as utilities; and
WHER...
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