The world produces enough food every day to feed every man, woman and child – 7 billion people – 2,700 calories, several hundred more than the recommended daily intake for most adults. The National Resources Defense Council released a report in 2012 showing that 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten, which equates to 20 pounds of food per person each month and $165 billion wasted each year. . Yet the World Food Program (WFP) reports that one in eight people – or 842 million people – go to bed hungry every night. Most live in developing countries, and children and women are particularly susceptible. Sixty-six million primary-aged children in developing countries attend classrooms hungry. Hunger is traditionally described as the need to eat and is most often represented visually as a complete absence of food. Yet the problem of hunger is multifaceted, involving both malnutrition and undernourishment. Undernutrition occurs when people have food but their intake does not meet their body's daily caloric needs. Malnutrition occurs when a person's physical function is impaired and cannot maintain their natural growth, whether physical or intellectual. Living with a daily calorie intake significantly lower than recommended day after day can have lasting repercussions, especially for young people. Poor nutrition is the cause of death for nearly 3.1 million children under the age of 5 each year. A 2010 New York Times article detailed this struggle in “The Obesity-Hunger Paradox.” The South Bronx, which has one of the highest obesity rates in the country, has been found to have the most severe hunger-related problems in the United States. How can people be both obese and hungry? Many advocates oppose ... middle of document ... to the point of chronic hunger. This figure is down from 17 percent of the population recorded between 1990 and 1992. The numbers are falling, but slowly and not at the rate outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The number of undernourished people was supposed to be cut in half by 2015. Slow progress may prove discouraging, but Rubbel and Smith are continuing their work along with many others. “It’s the people who work here,” Smith said. “People I see every day. We are like a family. We are not a faith-based organization, but we do the Lord's work. I have a passion for fighting hunger. » Sidebar/quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever existed. » -- Margaret Mead, American anthropologist and former executive secretary of the Committee on Dietary Habits of the National Research Council.