Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-210) and index.

Abstract: An authoritative text for food and nutrition policy makers presents a comprehensive report of a physician task force evaluation of the incidence and characteristics of hunger in the US, which concluded that the problem of hunger in the US is now more widespread and serious than at any time in the past 10-15 years, particularly with respect to children and the elderly. It was the consensus that this problem has been caused by national policies that have cut support for school lunch and food stamp programs, applied narrow criteria for program eligibility, and shifted the responsibility for feeding many of the poor to a private sector that is unequipped to cope with the widespread public problem. The study, conducted during 1984-85 throughout the US, including both urban and rural areas, found a deterioration of the previous decade's gains and a resultant negative effect on the US public health. Immediate and longer-term recommendations for eliminating hunger in the US are included. The text includes 20 tables and 40 illustrations and graphs. Baseline information and a glossary are appended.

SACFinal081324