35 million on food stamps WOW. That is a lot more than I previously thought. The US government needs regulate that program better.

Sean, I fear that numbers may be much higher than 35M. Anybody who pay attention to the United States will not fail to notice how frail is the United States domestic health, education and food security . I am surprised that you are surprised by this staggering numbers of hungry people in the land of the brave and the free, of Hollywood and the American Dream. Hurricane Katrina removed any lingering doubts of the true underbelly of poverty, disease and hunger that lie just beneath the façade of the imperial grandeur of the United States.

That's only a food stamp program, there are churches, charities, and other organizations that hand out food to those who can't afford or are in need of help. If those numbers are added to food stamp program, it would be a whole lot worse. Even 35 million is a bad number. The people are hurting while Washington and Wall Street head to Vegas promising people returns. Good Grief!

The US military machine must be fed at all costs - if the poor have to starve so be it - the machine must be fed first...........

I'm sorry for the poor people, but the Empires fall when their aims are too ambitious. It's impossible for a State to pursue an endless war and in the same time to spend above its possibilities, to maintain an efficient Healthcare, to help the poor, to corrupt political men and to build military bases in other countries. However now the world will go better.

The people who receive food stamps are also generally the people who go to Churches and relief centers for food.

You just Got t0 love this story and all the wrong facts and down right lies with it. The U.S is the last place on this earth that a family would not have food and free food at that. Are welfare program makes the poor in the U.S look like the Rich in 3rd world countries. Anyone can go to there local social services building and get on food stamps and goverment support. Keep twisting the truth and bending the facts RT

If that can make americans feel better, in Europe, we also have a lot of undernourished peoples. Here, also our official statistics are false. Beside we are very good at finding very sophisticated terms to make the problem seem less important. In France, for instance, we have 6 or 7 millions excluded citizen. We don't know exactly if this include all the thousands who do not have a roof on their head. We ignore in which statistic are the millions who, after loosing their jobs have been sent to various programs supposed to prepare them for a better future. Several other EU members live an identical situations and for some, it is (according to french medias) even worse. Back in 1949, the leaders of consumers' societies set-up regulations and principes for warranting the fortune of a few and allowing them to exploit most of Humanity. Worlds' prices were set for oil, gaz, metals, farms' products etc.). Unfortunatly a planetary working average price and social justice agreements were sciemment forgotten. Now, the mondialisation make us live the consequences of that omission. This will automatically lead to bloody revolutions, unless we anticipate and change the whole process. (This can be called: évolution or capitalist system' end). Sorry Future Generations ! Best Regards. Jean-Claude Meslin

there is almost 70% obesity in this country , no one is hungry. If you did not eat today or your children did not eat today its was your choices that made that happen.

Politicians don't care about those on welfare, getting food stamps lost their homes, etc. because those vote don't amount to much as far as politicians see it. I'm sure 35 million people needing food help is far below the actual number. Politicians and government people live in a different world with their nice salaries and insurance. So we'll continue to have a widening have's and have nots -- and that won't change for many years, esp. with out huge $$$ being spent in 2 wars.

Most poor people I know are fat because they eat less costly and less healthy foods. I have never known anyone that was malnourished. That segment of the population that is malnourished choose to feed their addictions rather than their bodies. I do not buy into this article's assertion that there are significant numbers of malnourished people in the US and have lived here my entire life.

This program needs reform and many people that depend on all the social programs need re-examined. Many of them have been on them for far too long without a need to improve their situation. Why improve yourself when you dont have to work for your meals? I have worked since I was 15, whether it be in a 9-5 job, in the military, or at home raising the kids while my husband worked long hours in the military. ( it was more economical for me to stay at home versus paying the ridiculous amount for childcare $1200+) we couldnt really afoord it. I suppose it depends on the area that you are living in and the cost of living standards. I believe that more of these entitlement people are going to be upset when the cuts come. Obesity is a concern, and many on the foodstamp program squander and sell them to buy cigarettes and beer. They will sell 100 dollars worth of the food stamps for 40-50 dollars to get a carton of cigarettes while their children are scolded for wanting a small treat at the grocery store. It is a disgusting part of the system that I am not proud of. The debit cards have not eliminated the problem as the culprits just take the traders shopping with them. I used to live in a very poor community and have been poor in a wealthy community, I have seen both sides of the beast, the very needy trying to make improvments and the people who feel that they are somehow entitled, who have no intention of improving their circumstances. I strongly believe that You are the force that drives improvment in your own life, if you wait for someone else to improve you and never work and sacrifice then you are entitled to nothing.Life is about hard work and dedication not about the first of the month when your "check" comes.

There is no incentive to regulate the program. A bureaucrat who starts helping his or her people get off the program will find himself or herself unnecessary. The more "clients" the more secure the job. This is why some people collect welfare in two states (they work both sides of a state border). I have had people in Michigan where I once lived sit down at their kitchen table with pencil and paper and show me why, with buying clothes, paying for gasoline, etc., it is not worth working. They are better off to collect unemployment or welfare. This is why socialism eventually destroys a nation. More and more people climb on for the free ride until those left working can no longer support them. But Americans have championed socialist programs. They love Medicare, free prescriptions, etc. That's what they want. Therefore they deserve what they are getting. For my part, I gave up long ago and moved out. I decided nothing was going to change until the system crashed. Well,, we are now watching the crash--in slow motion, but crash nevertheless.