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One in eight Canadian families regularly go hungry. Does that surprise you?

A new report has found that about one in eight families and 1.1 million children in Canada don't have access to regular, healthy meals because of financial constraints. Do these numbers surprise you?

Thomas Bink: The numbers don't really surprise me, but that doesn't make them any less disappointing. It's clear that things like the increasing income gap, increases in poverty and ongoing problems facing aboriginals are at the heart of these numbers. It's pretty disappointing that we live in one of the richest countries in the world but we still can't adequately feed all of our people. Some of our priorities need to change here.

Matthew Coutts: How is this possible? Those numbers would suggest that schools are filled with hungry, undernourished children, that the streets are filled with hungry, unhealthy teens and offices are packed with hungry, unfocussed adults. When I’m hungry I can’t think about work, I can’t convince myself to exercise, I’m grumpy and unsocial. Is this what Canada is like right now? There should be a serious shift, a real change, to make sure kids don’t go without healthy meals. Society on the whole is going to suffer in the long run.

[ Related: One in eight households couldn't access sufficient food in 2011 ]

Andy Radia: Yikes. That number is surprising to me. I'm glad it's finally getting some attention though. I think we need to follow the U.S. lead on this and institute a national hot lunch program for our schools. Right now, it seems as if we have patchwork policies in jurisdictions across the country. And Tom, I think you're right about the bigger issue, which is the increasing income gap.

Bink: It appears Newfoundland has made progress on the issue, with the lowest rate of household food insecurity at 10.6 per cent and the only province to show an improvement since 2006. They've been aggressive about reducing overall poverty in the province. We could take a lesson from them – they are focused on the core causes of the problem rather than setting up food banks or taking the charity route. Obviously Nunavut faces very different problems than Newfoundland, but maybe P.E.I. and New Brunswick could learn something from their northern neighbour.

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Coutts: You are right, Tom. Newfoundland’s approach does give me hope. It is focusing on poverty with a long-term approach, which should address the same problems I fear will get worse in our undernourished society. And that may be a guide for provinces of a similar size, but bigger provinces face a compounded problem. Access to assistance is just one thing that gets harder to provide for larger numbers of people. There must be a nationwide approach to this. Greater focus on local food production, for example. Something that could increase jobs and access to healthy food.

Radia: I'll give some love to Newfoundland as well. They've realized that it's an issue that requires a commitment of resources and money. I think we need to realize that nationally and do it right away – children are going hungry today. Ultimately, I think we have to look at it as an investment against future health care costs for diet related diseases.

Bink: One way or another, these numbers aren't acceptable.

So, what do you think? Have your say in the comments area below.