A Look at The Hunger Games Movie

The Hunger Games movie is set to be a worldwide phenomenon as the book trilogy hooked a lot of fans and the movie is sure to attract even more. Some people are even comparing The Hunger Games to Twilight and Harry Potter.

The first movie is set to be released on March 28 and there are theaters that have already sold out for the premier showing.

If you haven't read books you may not have any idea what the story is all about. Before you head off to see the movie, read on to learn more about this series and what the movie has in store for you.

The Hunger Games Plot

As mentioned the movie is based off The Hunger Games trilogy books by Suzanne Collins. The first book in the series is called "The Hunger Games."

The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world called Panem, which is where the current North American continent is located. The Capitol rules over all of the nation and is a very advanced state.

Each year The Capitol holds the Hunger Games, which pulls boys and girls from the ages of 12-18 from each of the 12 districts in Panem to compete in a survival of the fittest game in which only one person lives. The girls and boys are pulled from a lottery and everything is televised for everyone to watch.

The story follows Katniss Everdeen, who is from district 12 as she volunteers to take her younger sister Primrose's spot in the Hunger Games. The other tribute from district 12 is Peeta Mellark, who Katniss knows from school.

The movie follows the preparation of the tributes for the games as well as the actual game of life and death. There are twists and turns as Katniss, Peeta, and the other tributes try to stay alive in this game of survival. katniss ends up being more than just a girl trying to save her younger sister.

Although the movie deals with the survival of the fittest it does dive into politics and the control that The Capitol has over the entire nation and how they treat the people.

The Movie Cast

Here is a list of the main characters in the movie and the actors and actresses who will be portraying them in the movie.

Katniss Everdeen - Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta Mellark - Josh Hutcherson

Primrose Everdeen - Willow Shields

Gale Hawthorne - Liam Hemsworth

Haymitch Abernathy - Woody Harrelson

President Snow - Donald Sutherland

Caesar Flickerman - Stanley Tucci

Effie Trinket - Elizabeth Banks

The Hunger Games Sequels

There are already plans for the release of 3 more movies based off the trilogy. The next movie which will be Catching Fire is planned to be releases on November 22, 2013. It has been reported that the main cast including Lawrence, Hutcherson and Harrelson have signed on for all 4 movies. It would appear that the last book may be split into 2 movies.

Is "Head Hunger" a Loophole for Failure After Weight Loss Surgery?

Spend time listening to the talk among weight loss surgery patients and you're bound to hear the expression "head hunger." It's a popular term to describe a mental craving for food versus a physical hunger. Patients who regain weight and are not compliant with the dietary rules established by their bariatric centers often claim the head hunger was too powerful and forced them to eat foods known to cause weight gain or known to slow weight loss.  Foods such as pretzels, chips, sweets, pastas and baked goods are against the rules of weight loss surgery, yet these are the foods patients eat when suffering from head hunger.

The nature of the gastric bypass or lap-band weight loss surgery reduces physical appetite during the initial months following weight loss surgery. Most patients report a complete loss of physical appetite which of course is one of the components that makes weight loss surgery successful.

So why are so many patients regaining weight or stalling before reaching their weight loss goal?  Head hunger.  It seems to be the loophole that enables a patient to break the rules and not take responsibility for non-compliance.

While I understand there is an emotional attachment to food I also say using the head hunger loophole is self-defeating and unnecessary. Successful patients do not use the term nor do they indulge "head hunger."

Prior to WLS patients had another kind of "Head Hunger"- head hunger to lose weight, to be healthier, to be more attractive. That head hunger was so extreme nights were spent lying awake plotting the next argument to the insurance company, defending their personal obesity crisis and fighting for this miracle of modern medicine. Head hunger? THAT was head hunger.

It seems counterintuitive that patients who fought so hard for to have WLS now want to say "Oh, I'm so hungry for chocolate cake or Alfredo sauce or XYZ, just this once it's OK - I deserve one little treat!" This thinking is exactly what got us to morbid obesity in the first place! I say, forget about food head hunger - do not indulge it for one minute. Instead focus head hunger on the lighter, more attractive more confident person you fought to become. The chocolate cake is nothing, it has no power. Forget about it, it just doesn't matter anymore.

The Six Types of Hunger

Most people just think hunger is just hunger but sadly this a gross oversimplification. There are in fact six types of hunger. It is vital you understand what these all are otherwise you will find yourself addressing the wrong causes of your eating and be left wondering why you cannot control your eating.

In my experience the non emotional reasons account for way over 50% of most peoples' cravings and in some case 100%. This means that you may be blaming yourself for being weak willed and a bad person when the truth is you are simply miscalculating what you should eat.

The six types of hunger do not need to happen independently of each other. They can combine. When this happens you will find it very difficult to resist any temptations that come your way.

Normal hunger -

Natural hunger is a calm desire for food. It builds gradually and evenly. It can usually be battled against fairly easily until it rises to a high level. This is a natural feeling which should be listened to, this hunger will always be present throughout your life. This hunger is countered by eating an ideal meal for your body metabolic type® and ensuring you eat regularly.

The goal of any programme to get into shape should be to create a situation where this is the only type of hunger you experience in your life. When this is the case you will feel calm, controlled and have an easy relationship with food.

Water hunger -

A thirst for water is almost indistinguishable from a normal hunger feeling. It usually grows gradually and evenly. It will be like normal hunger in that it is a fairly calm request on the body and you can easily manage it. However, if you keep eating instead of drinking water when you are water hungry you may find yourself continually eating.

It should be pointed out that a water hunger is not the same as feeling thirsty. When hydration levels drop significantly and you will crave water. This is easy to spot. A water hunger is when you are slightly dehydrated but not enough to feel thirsty and hence you can confuse the signal as hunger.

This type of hunger is easily countered by drinking regularly water throughout the day. Ideally you would have some water every hour. Small quantities but regularly works best for the body. Look to consume around 200ml per hour. (just under half a pint) of pure water.

Cell energy hunger -

A cell energy hunger is one of the most common causes of hunger and perhaps the biggest reason people wrongly blame their eating on emotions when it is in fact biochemical.

A cell energy hunger comes when you eat a meal with the incorrect ratio of Protein: Carbohydrates: fat for your body. When this happens you will get a hunger feeling, often in the form of a sugar craving, anywhere from 15 minutes up to 3 hours after eating.

The hunger will appear quickly and can become very strong. The feeling is uncomfortable and there is a real desire for food. It is not in your head. Resistance to this hunger is difficult. You should not beat yourself up for eating poor foods in this state but I would beat myself up for letting it happen in the first place.

The best way to counter this is to eat each meal with the correct ratio of Protein: carbohydrates: fat for your body. This can be found out through experimentation and using food reaction forms.

Blood sugar hunger -

This is perhaps the most powerful hunger of them all. When your blood sugar levels drop below a certain value your hormone system begins to kick in to regulate your metabolism. This puts an unwelcome sress on your body long term and in the short term produces some very strong food cravings and hunger. The onset is fast. When certain values are hit in the blood glucose you will be hungry and this will come with a massive sugar craving.

Resistance to blood sugar cravings is very difficult. It is not just a natural hunger, but it comes with the body in a biochemical panic as low blood sugar means the brain may not get enough fuel and this is the highest priority for the body.

Most people associate blood sugar with diabetes and hyperglycemia. However, a large percentage of the population suffer with the other end of the problem with their blood sugar dropping too low (hypoglycemia) or find their levels are just too unstable and hence they are often fighting this hunger feeling.

Anyone suffering low blood sugar hunger should not be harsh on themselves for eating rubbish but should focus on how it got to the state of being low in the first place.

Low blood sugar problems can be resolved in the short term by eating regularly and ensuring you are eating in accordance to you following your ideal ratio of protein: carbohydrates: fat. However, blood sugar metabolism is a sign of many different biochemical inputs. Long term resolution of this needs to comes from addressing your body's function from the base up.

Addictive substance hunger -

An addictive substance hunger is another cause of a hunger feeling. This can come from non nutritional sources such as a smoker's withdrawal symptoms or from the removal of a food substance, e.g. sugar, wheat etc.

This hunger lies in the background, it is not a strong hunger like cell energy or blood sugar hungers but it operating at a consistent low level in the background. It is a sort of uneasy hunger feeling. The hunger neither comes nor goes, it is just there, in the background.

This type of hunger does not last too long, it occurs only when you are withdrawing from the addictive substance. During this time the feelings are fairly manageable as long as they are accompanied by the right mind set and you are free from cell energy, blood sugar or emotional hungers. The strange thing about the withdrawal hunger is it is specific to the person who has the addiction.

A non smoker does not withdraw against not smoking and neither does someone who does not eat sugar. Whatever you experience in terms of withdrawal hungers it will soon pass and you will barely notice it if you are addressing just this and normal hunger during the withdrawal process.

Where withdrawal pangs get their false impression as some huge barrier to succumb is when they are accompanied with the other types of hunger and a resentment towards giving up. This is then coupled with the many false beliefs about the substance and what it used to 'provide' you with. This accumulates into the 'difficulty' most people perceive with giving something up.

Emotional hunger -

True emotional hunger has nothing to do with nutritional cravings. An emotional craving has a very fast onset, often instantaneously. It is usually difficult to battle if you are unaware of your thought processes. Emotional eating can take many forms.

You see a picture of a chocolate bar in a magazine and all of a sudden you are craving it. You receive a phone call that makes you angry and immediately you are snacking on some biscuits. Often it is so subtle you will not notice the link, as you have this behaviour so ingrained.

You speak to someone about money then immediately you are having a cake. You meet someone who reminds you of a person from your past and you descend into a night of drinking. Often emotional behaviours are habits over pure emotional nutritional needs. Your husband comes home so you open the wine together, you meet your friends in the coffee shop for a cake and a catch up.

The interplay of the different hungers -

Most people just view hunger as hunger. However the six different hungers need to be separated out into their individual components. The different types merge together to form the general term most people describe as hunger.

It is when you experience more than one hunger that most people crack and end up eating rubbish. The most powerful combination is an emotional hunger and any other hunger in combination together.

Physiologically the worst hungers come from a combination of cell energy hunger and low blood sugar. I would defy anyone to not eat rubbish in this situation. Yet plenty of people go on day after day in this state. So no wonder they are eating rubbish foods.

It should be pointed out that hunger varies greatly between individuals. This is due to biochemical individuality. As a result you may find you are strongly affected by cell and blood sugar hunger which means you are always eating. Other people who know you may not experience these as much or at all and thus will wonder what your problem is, do not worry about what they think. They do not have any understanding of how these hungers feel and if they were to experience it they would behave similarly to you.

If you are someone who is confused by such people then the best description would be imagine really needing to go to the toilet while sitting in a room with 6 free cubicles. You can hold out for a while but it is only a matter of time before you cave in.

The key thing is for you to not allow situations where more than one hunger can hit you in combination. This is done by prevention. If you have a water hunger and a cell energy hunger, a withdrawal hunger and emotional hunger, natural hunger and blood sugar hunger they all spell disaster. Prevent these by drinking water, eating with the right amounts of protein: carbs: fat and regularly.

Weight Loss and Controlling Hunger

Secrets to Recognizing Hunger

The most important step for you to be able to control your hunger and cravings is to learn the difference between true hunger (being hungry is normal) and the numerous emotions we all have that we confuse for being hungry. Once we understand this basic concept, making changes is much easier. Thinking about being hungry only creates more feelings of hunger. Focusing on finding alternative foods that satisfy hunger shifts the mindset away from destructive to more constructive thinking and, therefore, more positive actions.

If you feel hungry all the time, your brain is definitely misinterpreting the signals and cues for real hunger. The real feeling of hunger does not occur all day, but only at times when the body is in real need of food. The following is a list of some of the emotional, and also external, cues telling us to eat and eat and that you should try to minimize:

Here is mental "check sheet" to see why you might be hungry:

1. Am I thirsty and not really hungry?

2. Did I skip a meal? Did I eat a meal that was too small?

3. Did I eat drinks or foods high in sugar?

4. Is it really hunger or stress, boredom, depression or anxiety?

5. It's normal to be hungry 5 hours after a meal and 2 hours after a snack.

Hunger and cravings are the result of brain chemicals telling us to eat or not to eat. Hunger is not a will power issue!

Simply recall the 1940s and 50s to see the effects of external signals on eating patterns. Back then, people did not have the difficulty with weight control, fast food was virtually nonexistent, and food portions were smaller. The rapid increase of obesity is a result of increased stress in our daily lives combined with external signals and cues to eat that surround us all day.

Stress is thought to be a major cause of overeating. However, numerous studies yield inconclusive results. Stress in the workplace is associated with overeating in two studies, and with less eating in two other studies. Stress at the time of college examinations has shown mixed results. In fact, the nature of the stress may play the most important role in overeating. Major stress appears to cause less eating and minor stress may cause increased frequent in our lives than "minor stressors"-possibly a significant reason for the preponderance of overeating.

Along with the type of stress, the type of foods desired while under stress plays an important role in overeating. people usually crave sweet or salty snack foods over meal-type foods, such as meat, vegetables, or fruits. Sweet and salty snacks are high in calories and rarely satisfy hunger, but create the need for more, regardless of whether a true physiological need exists. Stress-related eating leads to long-term weight problems and additional emotional problems.

Fatigue. Some people cannot distinguish between hunger and fatigue. When they're fatigued, they can be just as hungry after a large meal as they would be if they hadn't eaten for a whole day. A 1999 study at the University of Chicago found that sleeping only four hours a night for four days resulted in a decrease in metabolism and an increase in hunger.

Boredom, Depression, and Anxiety. These psychological problems are well-known causes of overeating. Since the signal to eat is not the absence of food or low blood sugar, food will not change the situation, and in a few minutes the individual is searching for even more comfort food. What to do? The first step is to say to yourself, "Am I eating because I am bored?" If so, you know that a cookie or two will not change the situation. Tell yourself, "I am going for a walk, I'll play on the computer, or even watch an old movie on TV. If I have the feeling in 20 minutes, I'll just get that cookie." If it's depression and anxiety, you need to take care of the situation. In the meantime, go shopping and get some low-calorie, portion-controlled snacks. Doing a little exercise will certainly help as well.

Habits, time triggers, and behavior patterns are among the most common triggers for what is perceived as hunger. Overweight people use their eyes to count calories and not their stomachs. Years ago, scientists believed that the body knew when to stop eating. However, in this era of unlimited access to very pleasant, comforting food, this ability may no longer hold true for many people. More than 60% of overweight individuals are habitual plate-cleaners: they eat everything on a plate

High sugar foods trigger hunger: Foods and drinks high in rapidly absorbed sugars such as soft drinks, juices,

and sports drinks cause almost instant hunger as blood sugar rises and falls. Other foods with sugar or those carbs easily converted to sugar also produce unusual amounts of hunger.

Skipping a meal causes hunger: The real reasons for not skipping meals has nothing to do with changing metabolism and a lot to do with preventing blood sugar falling especially late in the afternoon which causes hunger, often in an uncontrolled manner.

Respect Your Hunger to Achieve True Weight Loss Results

There is an old adage that suggests it is a cardinal sin or extremely poor strategy to go grocery shopping when you are really hungry. Well, when it comes to losing weight, the same can be said about being really hungry period. Many dieters feel that they need to suffer through a constant state of hunger and essentially limp along all during the diet process. Nothing could be further from the truth. One major key to weight loss is being attuned to your hunger and not allowing yourself to ever get too hungry.

If we can learn to focus a little more on the hunger, we can avoid so many of the unhealthy food choices we make when we are famished. Just like the example of the hunger shopper who fills the cart to the brim with anything and everything, the super hungry person will more likely eat indiscriminately when food becomes available.

For us to reach our weight loss goals we need to reeducate ourselves to recognize hunger. Many of us, because of our work demands, have learned to ignore hunger and keep pressing. Though we have become adept at wrestling with the burdens of deadlines and finish lines, we have deadened our hunger meters in the process. What we need now is to sharpen those senses anew.

Growling stomachs, headaches or light headedness, fatigue - these are some of the most common signs of hunger. Instead of fighting through those feelings and sensations, try to focus on recognizing when they first start to crop up. If you can nip the hunger in the bud, you will be far more likely to do it with a well thought out food choice as opposed to the first thing that you lay your eyes on. Furthermore, when you are able to notice the first signs of hunger, a little healthy snack will easily quell the hunger. You will be far less likely to eat with a vengeance, as is often the case when you wait too long to eat.

Don't wait for more than 15 to 20 minutes to eat once you have noticed the onset of hunger signs. There are some additional side benefits to eating before you are too hungry as well. Your focus will remain sharper if you refuel in little fueling stops along the way. You will be far more successful in meeting your deadlines by not suffering through the symptoms of being overly hungry.

Additionally, your body will keep burning calories at a higher rate if you eat at more regular intervals. Your body is brilliant at recognizing hunger. Its response is too slow down metabolism so as to conserve its store of energy. The problem is, if you wait too long and binge later, the body has gotten used to conserving instead of burning. Recognizing hunger and responding to it will keep you focused and keep the fat burning.

Get in touch with your hunger. Give it its due and give it some healthy fuel so you can maintain your momentum on your weight loss travels.

Tips To Ward Off Hunger

If you've just started on a fat loss plan, one thing that you might deal with is the dreaded hunger demon. Things may be going well but then as soon as hunger kicks in, the willpower you once showed so strongly flies completely out the window.

So what do you do in this instance? What's the best way to stay on your plan?

Below are the top methods that you can use to outsmart hunger and keep yourself on track.

Drink Some Hot Green Tea

First things first, one of the best methods to battle hunger is to simply sip on some green tea. Not only will green tea help to promote numerous health benefits with its antioxidant content, but it'll also help to boost your metabolic rate slightly as well.

Green tea will quickly fill your stomach and the hot liquid tends to calm hunger pains better than anything else.

Start With Some Soup

Second, another idea to help ward off hunger is to start each meal with vegetable broth-based soup. This is going to help to fill your stomach up, reducing your craving for more food. Since vegetable soup is so low in calories at only 30-50 per cup, you can eat quite a bit of this without it impacting your total daily calorie intake.

Snack On Nuts

Don't forget about nuts. A small handful of almonds is the perfect way to take the edge off your hunger and as long as you keep the serving size down to a ¼ cup, you will have no problem integrating this into your total calorie intake.

This is a great snack if you are on the road or in the office. If you feel hunger coming on and it's a few hours until your next meal, ¼ cup of nuts will tide you over.

Fill Up With Fiber

Fiber is another powerful tool that should be used to help you fight hunger. Fiber will slow down the digestion process in the body so that you feel satisfied for a longer period of time. Fiber is found most concentrated in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, so be sure that all of these sources are included in your diet plan. If you can aim for between 20-35 grams of fiber per day, you'll be right on track with where you should be.

Keep Yourself Busy

Keeping yourself busy can also help fight hunger. There's no question that boredom can play a role in prompting you to eat so if you can keep yourself occupied and your thoughts away from food, that too can help keep away the feelings of hunger.

Get up and go for a walk, meet a friend for coffee, or take a hot bath. Do anything to get out of the kitchen and away from the pantry.

Try these great hunger-busting tips to get you started today. It will get easier over time as these tips become habits. Each small step you take adds up and will bring you closer to your goal. After a few weeks of eating healthy on your new diet approach you will find that you're naturally choosing foods that help to fill you up better without adding a high level of calories to your plan thus improving your chances of seeing ongoing weight loss success.

The Current Status of World Hunger

Where does starvation exist in the world today?  What are some of the causes of world hunger?  Are citizens of developed countries donating monetarily to the ongoing relief efforts?  In this article I will address these questions with the hope that by creating an understanding of the current world hunger situation, morally conscious individuals will do their part in contributing to an eradication of this unseen suffering.

It is a well known fact that there is enough food in the world to feed every human being on earth.  Sadly, malnutrition and hunger still afflict one out of every seven people in the world today.  Or, from a slightly different statistical perspective, the current world population is 4,712,200,000.   The number of malnourished is 797,900,000.  Therefore 17% of the world population is currently malnourished or starving.  No matter how you examine the issue, a current crisis is at hand.  Why is this so?

The causes of starvation are complex, but there are some common threads that seem to be associated with this problem.  First and foremost, starvation is caused by poverty.  To address the problem of world hunger then the problem of global poverty must be addressed.  Therefore, the question that we should examine is what are the causes of poverty.  A thorough discussion on the causes of global poverty is outside the purview of this article.  Entire textbooks have been written on the subject.   For our discussion,  it is suffice to say that one of the major causes of poverty is governments pursuing policies that inhibit self sufficiency.

Areas of starvation are also characterized by persistent problems in cultivating food from lack of seed, arable land, and tools.  Those that can grow food, must deal with insects, drought, floods, and war, which can result in complete destruction of crops.  Historically, areas of Africa have experienced periodic locusts infestations, which can completely destroy crops.

Other causes of world hunger are related to the globalize system of food production.  The globalize system of food production and trade favors a reliance on export crops while discriminating against small-scale farmers and subsistence crops.   Many third world countries export out to much food while concomitantly not keeping enough food to sustain their own people.

AIDS is a significant cause of hunger.  In societies affected by AIDS, famine is more deadly and difficult to combat.  Why is this so?  AIDS attacks the most productive individuals within society.  Fewer productive people within society means fewer individuals to work the jobs that involve food production.  This is one contributor to the starvation currently taking place in Africa.

Weather plays a major role in terms of the prevalence of starvation.  Areas of drought leads to non-useable land with subsequent famine.  This is well known.  But less well known is that floods can also lead to starvation.  Crops can be flooded and therefore destroyed, which in essence produces the same result as drought.  In both cases, weather can produce a complete lack of self sufficiency.

Military conflicts, both internal and between neighboring countries, can lead to starvation.  These conflicts can result in destruction of crops.   Government money is directed at funding the conflict at the expense of the starving people.  Funds are diverted from social and economic development.  Military conflicts can also result in the displacement of large groups of people, removing them from their farms and their way of life.  People can end up in refugee camps, completely dependent on relief aid.

The causative factors of world hunger are numerous, and certain factors change from year to year, therefore at any given time, some areas may be more prone then others.  The extent of drought, flood, internal conflicts, and war with neighboring countries can vary over time.  Therefore, these factors incorporate a variable affect on the degree to which inhabitants of susceptible countries suffer from starvation.

A combination of these causative factors in a particular region is a formula for disaster.  When this occurs, large scale starvation can take place.  A case in point.  The Horn of Africa has seen severe drought coupled with internal conflicts.  This is leading to the development of a tragedy.  In this region currently 11 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Historically, certain areas of the world have had a high prevalence of hunger and starvation.  These areas are the central region of South America, large areas of East, Central, and Southern Africa, and regions of South Asia.  As of 2006, the current hot spots, those areas which are suffering the greatest degree of starvation, are as follows:

Niger:

This area in central Africa has been struggling to cope with the devastating impact of drought and locusts infestations.

Haiti:

In this region extreme poverty has been further exacerbated by a political crisis, floods, tropical storms, and hurricanes.

Horn of Africa:

An estimated 11 million people in the Horn of Africa "are on the brink of starvation" because of severe drought and war.  Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia need food aid, water, new livestock and seeds.  This is a major hunger crisis in development.

Afghanistan:

Poverty in Afghanistan, made worse by drought, has contributed greatly to their hunger problem.

Pakistan:

The recent earthquake coupled with a severe winter have produced starvation conditions.  Recently, mud slides have hampered relief efforts.

North Korea:

Food insecurity caused by the countries economic problems, is compounded by unpredictable and severe weather conditions.  To date, the North Korean government has failed in its duty to provide for it's starving people.  The North Korean government has actually refused foreign aid.

Columbia:

A 40 year civil conflict and the illegal drug trade have caused mass displacement and poverty.

Democratic Republic of Congo:

3.4 million people have been internally displaced as a result of a continuing internal conflict.

Mali:

They are struggling to cope with the devastating impact of a recent drought.

Southern Africa:

Erratic weather, lack of seed and fertilizer, chronic poverty, and AIDS have been contributing factors to starvation.

These are the areas of the world which are currently suffering the highest levels of malnutrition and hunger.  With this understanding of where relief efforts are needed, we must address the question of individual response.  Are individuals of developed countries donating to relief efforts?  Most morally conscious individuals donate to relief efforts when the problem is presented to them.

A major problem in the relief effort is the general population of developed countries not knowing about the current hunger crisis.  News organizations, more specifically television news, are not giving enough attention to the global hunger situation.  While an in depth discussion as to the reasons for this is outside the purview of this article, a few points can be made.

Evidently, the American TV news organizations, do not think world hunger is much of a story since starvation is a daily occurrence.  I suspect, from the perspective of these news organizations, that 24,000 people per day dying from hunger is not a big enough news story.  When 1,386 people died from hurricane Katrina, the news coverage was enormous.  Five months after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, TV news organizations were still squeezing all they could out of this story.  Granted this was an obvious tragedy, but an even bigger tragedy, much bigger, is going on in Africa and the general public does not even know about it.

I have seen little to almost no coverage given by American TV news organizations on the devastating hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.  I have only learned of this crisis through RSS feeds on the Internet.  Television news organizations such as CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC are thus far not reporting on this crisis.  Hopefully this will change.

It is evident that the American TV news organizations do not really provide total and complete news, rather they screen the events and only provide what they feel may be interesting to their audience.  News organizations should present the news and concomitantly maintain high journalistic standards.  Maybe these news organizations need to incorporate a higher level of moral obligation into their decision making process, when deciding which stories to cover.  In any case, people can not donate if they do not know the problem exists.

We have addressed some key questions in order to characterize the current status of the world hunger situation. We have examined where hunger is the most prevalent in the world today, and we have identified some of the causative factors which contribute to malnutrition, hunger, and starvation.  We have concluded that most morally conscious individuals would contribute to the elimination of hunger, if they knew about the crisis.  Finally, we have observed that the degree of world hunger coverage by TV news organizations is very much lacking.

Even though TV news organizations have not been covering the current world hunger crisis, by reading this article, you have developed an understanding of the degree to which starvation is prevalent in the world today.  If you are reading this in a developed country, which is highly likely since you are reading it on a computer which has Internet access, you have a moral obligation to donate either time or money to help in the elimination of unseen suffering.  Winston Churchill once said "we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."  We must all do our part to eliminate world hunger.