ATLANTA, Georgia.- 12.1% of households with children in Georgia do not have enough food to provide a healthy life for all its members, indicates the United States Department of Agriculture.
These data are supplemented by the organization Feeding America indicating that one in seven children in Georgia is hungry.
“This is a national crisis and a crisis in Georgia, of malnutrition and hunger that children experience,” Dr. José Rodríguez told Rafael Olavarría, of Univision 34 Atlanta. “Nutrition and development are closely related.”
Research shows that children who live in households that lack access to food are likely to get sick more often and even be hospitalized. In addition, some permanent consequences of the lack of healthy food are: developmental delays, poor educational results and mental health disorders.
“Recovering from illnesses will take longer. Not being able to concentrate in class changes how they relate to other people. Being hungry is a feeling, but the emotion of living in poverty causes changes in behavior,” said the Dr. Rodriguez.