ABSTRACT
Throughout history, families have shared food, its gathering, production, processing, and preparation. The ability of families to feed themselves well must be considered within the broader context of what the US Department of Agriculture calls "food security" and the comprehensive system of food production and distribution. Businesses control many aspects of whether families feed their families properly through actions that influence whether food is accessible and affordable. The wages they pay employees, including those who pick the fruit and freeze the vegetables, affect family income. Healthy eating habits protect people from a variety of serious illnesses, including diabetes and heart attacks. A combination of unhealthy diets and lack of exercise kills hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. National government decisions largely determine whether the elderly and children in low-income families have enough to eat. Although major factors affecting families' food security are non-local, neighbors, volunteers, nonprofits and community groups do make significant contributions to alleviating immediate hunger.
