Description of Hunger

Hunger represents both a social concept and an individual feeling. Medically, hunger is the physical sensation of desiring food. As a physiological feeling, hunger differs from appetite. Whereas hunger represents the need for food, appetite is the desire for food.

Definition

David H. Holben, professor of nutrition and associate director of nutrition in the School of Applied Sciences and Wellness at Ohio State University, describes hunger as an uneasy often painful sensation resulting from a lack of food. Additionally, Holben states that hunger results from both recurrent and involuntary conditions that prevent access to food. Many private and governmental agencies around the world work toward alleviating hunger. Since hunger is an involuntary condition, these initiatives work by improving access to food for individuals and groups of people that cannot afford to purchase food.

Hunger

Hunger can result in devastating consequences. Hunger can make it difficult for people to study, work or perform physical activities. According to the book "Hunger: The Biology and Politics of Starvation" by John R. Butterly and Jack Shepherd, hunger is especially harmful for women and children, and children without proper nourishment may not grow as quickly as children who receive proper nourishment. Additionally, undernourished children may develop more slowly at the mental level. Living in constant hunger also can make your immune system weak, leading to diseases and infections. Mothers who live in constant hunger commonly give birth to underweight and weak babies and face an increased risk of death during pregnancy.

Distribution of Hunger Around the World

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or FAO, the majority of people living in hunger are located in developing countries and account for 16 percent of the population in these countries. The regions with the highest rates of hunger are Asia and the Pacific where an estimated 578 million people live in hunger. Developed countries have far less hungry people. However, it is still estimated that 19 million people live in hunger in developed countries.

Some Statistics

According to the 2010 Hunger Report, an estimated 1 billion people around the world suffer from hunger. This accounts for about one-sixth of the world's total population. As reported by CNN in 2009, more than 6 million children die from hunger every year. The FAO estimates that the world produces enough food to feed more than twice all of the 7 billion people around the world, as of August 2011.