A blazing row erupted earlier this week with the publication of a charity research report on food banks – the latest in a series of blazing rows on food bank use in the UK. At stake was the claim that … Continue reading
American families pinched by the recession that began in 2007 made cuts in their budgets on purchases ranging from cars to television to new homes. Less visible, but no less important, many families changed their food purchasing habits. Research by … Continue reading
Folks, today you can find my blog post “How the Other Half Eats” on one of my favorite food blogs theeatenpath.com. I make the argument that Occupy Wall Street is opening the door to a national conversation about inequalities in … Continue reading
This is the first in a series of three posts that looks at the measurement and politics of poverty in the United States As I reported last week, the poverty rate in the United States in 2010 soared. Under the … Continue reading
Dismal news. As was widely reported this week, the official poverty rate climbed again in 2010 to 15.1 percent – the highest level since 1994. The already inflated 2009 rate was 14.3 percent of individuals. The report also revealed that … Continue reading
There are countless proposals to reduce obesity in the United States, but causal links are difficult to establish. Fairly and effectively targeting low-income populations is an unresolved challenge. Turn on the television in the United States and you will quickly … Continue reading
This seems like a good week to talk about the cost of living. On Tuesday, the UK Coalition Government put up VAT (sales tax) from 17.5% to 20%, which it somehow tried to spin as a ‘progressive’ move. This comes … Continue reading
Large social surveys in most countries now include questions about whether the household is able to afford basic necessities and can meet all of its resource needs. In the United States, these measures are called “hardship” indicators, and in Europe … Continue reading
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