Psyche, Science, and Society

Bush administration abolishes hunger, for real

November 20th, 2006

Revere at Effect Measure informs us that hunger no longer exists in the United States, thanks to the USDA. It seems that the Bush administration, loving science as it does, has decided that “hunger” is too imprecise a term to be used used. They thus replaced it with “very low food security” [presumably soon to be "VLFS" in research grants and papers].

“Mark Nord, the lead author of the report, said “hungry” is ‘not a scientifically accurate term for the specific phenomenon being measured in the food security survey.’ Nord, a USDA sociologist, said, ‘We don’t have a measure of that condition….’

Among several recommendations, the panel suggested that the USDA scrap the word hunger, which ’should refer to a potential consequence of food insecurity that, because of prolonged, involuntary lack of food, results in discomfort, illness, weakness, or pain that goes beyond the usual uneasy sensation.’

To measure hunger, the USDA determined, the government would have to ask individual people whether ‘lack of eating led to these more severe conditions,’ as opposed to asking who can afford to keep food in the house, Nord said.” [from the Washington Post]

What next? Will they define indefinite imprisonment without trial as “freedom,” war as “peace,” religion as science,”? Oh yeah, they already did that.

Entry Filed under: Public Health, Research Methods, Science, Social Issues