Here's yet another slap between the eyes courtesy of our The Great Recession: 49.1 million Americans are food insecure.  Let me say first that "food insecure" is a ridiculous term.  It's political-speak.  What it means is 49.1 million people in this country do not have the financial means to eat three nutritious meals each day.  That's an increase of over 13 million Americans in one year.  And it's simply not acceptable.

Of those who are food insecure, over 22 percent are kids.  Think about how hard it is to learn - heck, simply grow - when you don't have enough to eat.  Clearly, the people on the bottom of the socio-economic ladder are the most at risk.  And many aren't simply at risk, they are currently trying to survive without enough to eat.  Or, at a minimum, the constant worry about how to pay for food. 

Now, in fairness, the USDA's report is a bit alarmist. Headlines have been shouting about our food needs.  While real, food scarcity can simply mean people are worried about how to feed their families.  The good news is that 2008 was the best year in over 80 years for food affordability; only 5.6 percent of the average American income was needed to feed an average family of four, which is the lowest percentage on record since 1929. But that's the average American salary, which means that poor families spend a greater percentage.

Whether its obesity, hunger or throwing food away (which we do in great quantities), Americans need to address our food-related issues.  No one in a country this wealthy should be hungry or malnourished.  Nor should we see nearly 43% of our population reaching obesity in the next eight years.  Can't we have a little more balance when it comes to food?