Dr. Mariana Chilton spoke at the American Public Health Association's 134th Annual Meeting and Exposition on November 7th in Boston, MA. She presented two papers, one entitled "Food insecurity among the youngest US citizens born to immigrants of the Americas: Implications for policy and human rights" and the other, "Insecure about what? Addressing US hunger in the context of human rights".

Here are a few extracts from Dr. Chilton's papers:

Food insecurity among the youngest US citizens born to immigrants

"Though the international community has accepted the definition and justiciability of the right to food, or right to be free from hunger, the United States government refuses to sign accords which declare this as a fundamental human right. Paradoxically, over the past decade, the US has undertaken perhaps the strongest effort in the world to measure food insecurity and hunger at a national level, while simultaneously encouraging research on the relationship between food insecurity, health and wellbeing. This paper explores the reasons underlying this paradox, identifies ways in which the human rights framework can be brought to the United States context, and addresses the challenges that naturally arise in this endeavor."

Insecure about what? Addressing US hunger in the context of human rights

"Mexican child food insecurity (33%) is twice that of the other groups. Mexican and Central American children are more likely to be in fair or poor health. Although immigrant families infrequently access food stamps, participation in the Food Stamp Program is significantly associated with positive self-rated health outcomes."