The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging pediatricians to scan every patient for food insecurities and refer patients to the correct agencies in an attempt to diminish the rate of child hunger in America.

According to the report, 16 million children currently live in homes where they do not receive enough food on a consistent basis.

Because of the lack of food, these children are prone to getting sick more often and have poorer health overall than those who do receive enough food.

"We know food insecurity drives up health care costs, and is associated with more hospitalizations, and is related to poor childhood development and health," said Mariana Chilton, the director of the Center for Hunger Free Communities at Drexel University, in an interview with the New York Times.

Some 15.3 million children in America under age 18 live in households where they can't consistently get enough nutritious food for a healthy life, according to information gathered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, says a fact sheet from the hunger relief group Feeding America.

While child hunger is a big issue in America, not many pediatricians research the issue, and the broader community of pediatricians has not taken to paying attention to food insecurity, according to Chilton.

The academy said that it could screen for food insecurity by asking two simple questions to parents. The first question is whether or not in the last year parents were worried that food would run out before they had money to buy more, and the second question was whether or not groceries lasted until they had money to buy more.

In fact, the answers to these questions identify 97 percent of families that have food insecurity. Not only that, but the asking of these questions may also encourage parents to step forward to find help, with many parents being too embarrassed or scared to seek help when it comes to food insecurity. Not only can pediatricians provide resources for parents who need help, but they can also reassure parents and let them know that they aren't alone.

The screening may also help pediatricians identify children who are forced to skip meals or go to bed hungry.

Via: New York Times