Pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roast turkey are all delicacies that most Americans indulge in during this holiday season. Imagine not eating these foods on Thanksgiving Day, but rather eating a normal dinner. It would probably be a lot less stressful for the people who prepare these extravagant dishes, but the holiday itself would lose its wow-factor. Would the absence of an overload of delicious food affect the positive connotation you have of Thanksgiving? Think about it while you read the rest of this article.

Food insecurity is a state of not having access to an adequate amount of food due to financial reasons or a lack of resources. The Our World in Data website states that “Nine percent of the world — around 697 million people — are severely food insecure.” Many families and individuals that face food insecurity don’t know when their next meal will be, and this uncertainty must hang over their heads daily.

Though food is a right, it might as well be considered a privilege. Countless people around the world aren’t fortunate enough to be able to fuel their bodies properly. The consequences of improper fueling include stunt in growth, impaired IQ, and increased susceptibility to disease. Sadly, many people who have access to an adequate amount of food are not putting in the effort to feed themselves properly and, therefore, are also not receiving the nutrients their bodies need. When you don’t take the initiative to feed yourself properly, especially when you have the ability to, you’re taking for granted a basic right that all humans deserve, but don’t have.

The waste of food around the world is another serious global issue. Each year, 218 billion dollars’ worth of food is thrown way. That money could be used to help provide meals for underprivileged families but is instead in the trash.

Food is taken for granted every day. It is often thrown away, not eaten, or seen as something that is available to us at any time. It is important that we realize how fortunate we are to be able to nourish our bodies. We must try our hardest to not waste food that comes our way. This Thanksgiving especially, let’s try to gain a new appreciation for food, because for some, that peanut butter and jelly sandwich you eat for lunch every day is a Thanksgiving feast.

Sources

Do Something Staff. “11 Facts About Hunger in the US.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-hunger-us.

Roser, Max, and Hannah Ritchie. “Hunger and Undernourishment.” Our World in Data, 8 Oct. 2013, ourworldindata.org/hunger-and-undernourishment.