%3Cp%3EFrom%20Worcester%20Telegram%20%26amp%3B%20Gazette%20News%20--%20%20A%20new%20grant%20to%20the%20Worcester%20Advisory%20Food%20Policy%20Council%20will%20enable%20the%20Hunger-Free%20%26amp%3B%20Healthy%20project%20to%20help%20individuals%20suffering%20from%20hunger%20seek%20help.%20%20Hunger-Free%20and%20Healthy%20helps%20people%20access%20available%20programs%20through%20several%20strategies%2C%20including%20training%20outreach%20workers%20at%20local%20hospitals%2C%20health%20centers%20and%20the%20Worcester%20Housing%20Authority%2C%20in%20addition%20to%20food%20stamp%20advocacy%20and%20expanding%20farmers%20markets%20in%20the%20South.%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3BSome%2082%2C779%20individuals%20were%20served%2C%20and%20when%20their%20multiple%20visits%20are%20taken%20into%20account%2C%20the%20number%20grows%20to%20380%2C000.%20These%20hungry%20people%20represent%20one%20in%2010%20of%20us%20living%20in%20Central%20Massachusetts%2C%26rdquo%3B%20Mrs.%20McMurray%20said.%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20New%20York%20Times%20--%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AWhile%20malnutrition%20takes%20the%20lives%20of%20many%20in%20Africa%2C%20survivors%20are%20left%20with%20little%20more.%20Malnutrition%20stunts%20physical%20and%20mental%20growth%2C%20causing%20children%20to%20be%20weak%20students%20and%20small%20in%20stature%2C%20sickly%20and%20weak%20in%20a%20nation%20that%20runs%20on%20manual%20labor.%20However%2C%20malnutrition%20can%20be%20defeated%2C%20and%20nations%20such%20as%20Ethiopia%20are%20working%20toward%20finding%20a%20solution%20that%20includes%20food%20and%20vitamin%20distribution%20to%20its%20people.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20U.S.%20Department%20of%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development%20--Homelessness%20is%20an%20issue%20affecting%20many%20people%20in%20the%20U.S.%20today.%26nbsp%3B%20If%20you%20are%20homeless%2C%20you%20can%20find%20resources%20here%20on%20programs%20that%20may%20help.%26nbsp%3B%20If%20you%20know%20someone%20who%20is%20homeless%2C%20use%20this%20site%20to%20make%20a%20difference%20in%20their%20life.%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BIf%20%20you%20are%20homeless%2C%20help%20is%20available%21%20HUD%2C%20along%20with%20many%20other%20federal%20agencies%2C%20%20funds%20programs%20to%20help%20the%20homeless.%20These%20programs%20are%20managed%20by%20local%20organizations%20%20that%20provide%20a%20range%20of%20services%2C%20including%20shelter%2C%20food%2C%20counseling%2C%20and%20jobs%20%20skills%20programs.%20So%20start%20by%20contacting%20a%20homeless%20assistance%20agency%20in%20your%20area.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20BBC%20News%20--%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AThe%20high%20rate%20%2825%25%29%20of%20obesity%20in%20China%20can%20be%20seen%20as%20indicator%20for%20what%20is%20going%20to%20happen%20to%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20developing%20nations%20in%20the%20world.%20%20Although%20new%20wealth%20and%20influence%20is%20definite%20contributor%20to%20the%20countries%20weight%20gain%2C%20it%20is%20not%20the%20affluent%20that%20are%20fat.%20%20It%27s%20the%20people%20with%20low%20income%20live%20in%20rural%20areas%20who%20are%20getting%20bigger%20and%20sicker.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20Washington%20Post%20--%20%20For%20years%2C%20the%20government%20has%20treated%20hunger%20and%20obesity%20as%20separate%20issues.%20But%20with%20food%20stamp%20use%20at%20a%20record%20high%20and%20obesity%20spreading%20as%20a%20pandemic%2C%20the%20government%20is%20starting%20to%20look%20at%20the%20problems%20under%20the%20same%20lens.%20%20Read%20this%20article%20to%20see%20what%20the%20public%20health%20advocates%27%20arguments%20are%20versus%20the%20anti-hunger%20advocates%27%20views.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3BThe%20worsening%20economic%20crunch%20is%20causing%20the%20tab%20for%20food%20assistance%20programs%20to%20balloon%2C%20and%20with%20the%20rising%20costs%20has%20come%20an%20intensifying%20debate%20over%20whether%20--%20and%20how%20--%20the%20U.S.%20government%20can%20tackle%20simultaneously%20the%20paradoxically%20linked%20problems%20of%20hunger%20and%20obesity.%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20The%20International%20News%3A%20%20The%20eutrophication%20of%20nearby%20lakes%20has%20made%20all%20the%20water%20in%20the%20Karachi%20area%20unfit%20to%20drink.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BOf%20the%202%2C000%20water%20samples%20collected%20over%20a%20period%20of%2020%20years%20from%20different%20parts%20of%20the%20city%2C%20none%20have%20proved%20to%20be%20fit%20for%20human%20consumption%2C%20revealed%20a%20detailed%20study%20conducted%20by%20Prof%20Dr%20Syed%20Jamil%20Hasan%20Kazmi%20and%20Ihsanullah%20Khattak%20of%20Department%20of%20Geography%2C%20University%20of%20Karachi%20%28KU%29%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Portland%20Tribune%20--%20%20Although%20the%20blame%20for%20the%20obesity%20epidemic%20has%20fallen%20on%20diet%20and%20exercise%2C%20or%20lack%20thereof%2C%20now%20pollution%20is%20being%20listed%20as%20a%20major%20problem.%20Just%20as%20exposure%20to%20carcinogens%20can%20trigger%20cancer%2C%20researchers%20are%20now%20saying%20that%20exposure%20to%20obesogens%20can%20trigger%20a%20dramatic%20increase%20in%20the%20amount%20of%20fat%20produced%20in%20a%20person%27s%20body%2C%20which%20leads%20to%20excess%20weight%20and%20obesity.%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3EAttributing%20obesity%20to%20diet%20and%20exercise%20is%20%26ldquo%3Bpractically%20scientific%20dogma%20at%20this%20point%2C%26rdquo%3B%20says%20Bruce%20Blumberg%2C%20associate%20professor%20of%20developmental%20and%20cell%20biology%20at%20UC%20Irvine.%20But%2C%20he%20continues%2C%20%26ldquo%3Bdiet%20and%20exercise%20are%20simply%20not%20adequate%20to%20explain%20the%20explosion%20of%20obesity%20in%20Western%20countries.%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Newsweek%20--%20%20An%20astonishing%201.6%20billion%20people%20in%20America%20are%20overweight.%20%20And%20now%20it%27s%20not%20just%20Americans%2C%20or%20even%20Western%20cultures%2C%20but%20obesity%20has%20become%20a%20global%20problem.%20This%20epidemic%20is%20a%20result%20of%20the%20obvious%20factors%2C%20such%20as%20%20sugary%20drinks%2C%20sedentary%20lifestyles%20and%20junk%20food%2C%20but%20%20Barry%20Popkin%20also%20reveals%20some%20less%20obvious%20culprits%3A%20evolutionary%20biology%2C%20for%20instance%2C%20and%20a%20host%20of%20other%20forces%20beyond%20any%20individual%27s%20control.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20WaterAid%20--%20%20Ali%20Hobb%27s%20documentary%2C%20%22The%20Long%20Walk%2C%22%20features%20one%20woman%27s%20journey%20for%20water%20in%20the%20Nuba%20mountains%20of%20Sudan.%20%20The%20woman%27s%20walk%20serves%20as%20an%20allegory%20for%20the%20lives%20of%20the%201.1%20billion%20people%20who%20are%20currently%20living%20without%20access%20to%20clean%20water.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BThe%20film%2C%20which%20focuses%20on%20one%20woman%27s%20walk%20for%20water%20in%20Sudan%27s%20Nuba%20mountains%2C%20was%20followed%20by%20a%20short%20speakers%20event%20featuring%20UK%20Secretary%20of%20State%20for%20International%20Development%2C%20Hilary%20Benn.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Bloomberg%20School%20of%20Public%20Health%20--%20%20A%20recent%20study%20from%20Johns%20Hopkins%20University%20shows%20that%2088%20percent%20of%20Americans%20could%20be%20overweight%20or%20obese%20by%202030%2C%20with%20related%20health%20care%20spending%20projected%20to%20be%20as%20much%20as%20%24956.9%20billion.%20%20This%20would%20result%20in%201%20of%20every%206%20health%20care%20dollars%20spent%20in%20total%20direct%20health%20care%20costs%20paying%20for%20overweight%20and%20obesity-related%20costs.%20It%20is%20also%20predicted%20that%20children%20and%20young%20adults%20may%20have%20a%20shorter%20life%20expectancy%20than%20their%20parents%20if%20the%20obesity%20epidemic%20is%20left%20unaddressed.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A