Hungry Americans vs Hungry Malaysians

Americans: Obese yet Hungry?
When I first visited this country, I was astounded to see so many big people. Obesity is a huge problem afflicting more than one in three Americans.

Obesity affects pets in the US too. Meet Obie the 77 lb daschund. Photo: WRCBTV.com

So, I'd least expect to find people hungry here in the USA. And yet there are. One in six Americans are hungry. That's about 50 million people. Of these, 8.3 million are seniors and 16 million are children.

Non-profit organizations like Meals on Wheels provide one million meals to seniors who need them each day. And Feeding America's network feeds 37 million Americans every year.

Malaysians: No problemo?
Are Malaysians less hungry?

• Google turns up only one article on 'Meals on Wheels' for Malaysia and it isn't really even comparable to the Meals on Wheels in the US. 
• In contrast to the 1 million meals delivered daily by Meals on Wheels, Kechara Soup Kitchen feeds 1800 homeless and urban poor (walk-ins) in Kuala Lumpur weekly. 
• Malaysia was chosen to be the Asia HQ for Stop Hunger Now because "Malaysia does not experience severe hunger" and its "vibrant economy creates a middle class - there is a culture of service..." (Allen Renquist, Stop Hunger Now). 

I don't buy that
(That Malaysians are less hungry than Americans).

A Surprising Find
Guess what: Malaysians and Americans are equally hungry but not severely hungry. An FAO publication "Undernourishment around the world" gives the 'depth of hunger' for both Malaysia and the United States as '140 kcal' (deficit).

Oh, and there are hungry Americans who are obese! Hunger contributes to Obesity.

My two sen
Information on where hungry Malaysians can find food assistance is meagre. I tried the Welfare Department of Malaysia's website, but couldn't find information on applying for monetary assistance or food stamps. I don't think the concept of 'food stamps' actually exists in Malaysia.

I think hunger in Malaysia is simply not highlighted as a serious issue as it is in the US. Americans seem to be taking better care (or at least attempting to) of their hungry.

What do you think?