Drew Barrymore, Nutrition, and 25 Cents A Day

As a clinical nutritionist, I spend my days reminding my patients of the virtues of balancing protein and carbohydrates, eating organic when possible, and having a good breakfast. They are often in search of losing a few pounds, lowering cholesterol, and preventing such maladies as heart disease and diabetes.

Earlier this week, at the Conversation About World Hunger and the Economic Turndown event at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, I was reminded that for one out of every seven people in the world, the idea of nutrition is simply to have any food to eat. I frequently inform parents that a high sugar breakfast can affect their child's concentration in school (let alone their health). However, in impoverished communities, school is often missed because of a lack of food. If a child doesn't get food in the morning, they simply cannot go to school because they can barely think. Children often spend the day in search for food. You can see how food is essential to getting a basic education. And a basic education is often a child's only way out of poverty.

I accepted the invitation to this event because I appreciate the opportunity to support a good cause. To be perfectly honest, I was prepared to hear overwhelming statistics about world hunger and feel like there was no real solution. I was ready to kick in a few bucks so I would feel like I was doing something.

I wasn't prepared to actually be inspired. However, I found the opposite to be true. What I learned that evening is that the issue of world hunger is solvable, and the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) is hot on the trail.

Arianna Huffington did a brilliant job of moderating the event as she sparked a thought-provoking discussion among WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran, Actress and WFP Ambassador Against Hunger Drew Barrymore, and the audience.

Drew Barrymore was quite impressive. She was wonderfully spirited and articulate as she shared her passion and what she believes to be her life's mission: to make sure that no child is hungry. She spent time in Africa, learning about WFP, getting involved politically, and filming a documentary.

What is extraordinary about Drew's involvement is that she has truly earned her title as WFP's Ambassador. She spent time in the trenches in third world countries with conviction and commitment. She is not a mere figurehead--she's the real deal.

During her presentation, Drew proudly held WFP's famous red cup, the cup that feeds children around the globe. She explained that 25 cents a day is all it takes to make sure a child is fed. The audience was captivated. Holding the red cup and knowing that what is inside actually saves lives was a very powerful symbol. It was the connection between the comfortably-seated audience and the hungry child on the other end.

The tirelessly dedicated Josette Sheeran shared with us the risks that WFP takes to deliver the food to those in need. WFP goes into approximately 80 countries to deliver food. The people who deliver the food deal with war zones, political conflict, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. They use whatever transportation they can to deliver: helicopters, boats, donkeys, elephants, and camels.

Josette really got the audience's attention when she presented the fact that it takes only three billion dollars a year to make sure no child in the world goes to school hungry.

Only three billion? Check out the reality-check PSA where Sean Penn compares three billion to other expenses such as the economic bailout:

Oh, those Wall Street bonuses could be put to good use....

Call To Action

The audience was an eclectic mix of several hundred entertainment industry folks and two adorable kids. After the presentation, members of the audience asked questions which prompted a discussion about a call to action. The question from a young boy really got the discussion going. He asked, "How do you motivate kids who have plenty of food to care about kids who need food?" He shared how he goes to a school where kids spend money so easily and don't seem to be in touch with the need to help and lack the knowledge of how to help.

Drew's already strong passion was amped by this boy's spirit. She invited him to brainstorm with her for ways to reach young people and make ending world hunger as cool as having the latest version of the ipod. The young man didn't hesitate to accept Drew's invitation.

World Food Programme

Some quick facts about the World Food Programme:

It is the largest humanitarian organization and the United Nations' frontline agency mandated to combat global hunger.

In 2008, WFP reached 102 million beneficiaries in 78 countries with 3.9 million tons of food.

WFP keeps their overhead low. 93 cents of every dollar goes directly to getting food to those who need it.

WFP is not just helping people who are hungry today by providing food. They have developed strategies to ensure long-term food production by working with and training local farmers to grow food. There's that "teaching them to fish vs. just giving them fish" idea at its best.

WFP relies entirely on voluntary contributions.

Spreading the Word

You can learn more about how to fill the red cup and stop hunger in its tracks at wfp.org. You can become a Facebook friend of WFP or follow them on Twitter so you don't ever forget about this important issue. Maybe Drew will start twittering and keep us posted on her philanthropic adventures. Tweets to remind us of what's important. Instead of being bombarded with useless trivia, I'd rather be regularly reminded to feed the children.

Comments

[faustfire]

Sorry "Dr." no such thing as a PHD in homeopathy...as it is magic not science.

[BlackYowe]

I love the picture of the lady with Drew in the picture. Wow is she beautiful!

[RedWhiteandBlueState]

I have mad respect for any highly paid celebrity, like Drew Barrymore in this case, who take their time and fame and use it for a positive cause. Bravo Drew.

[Dooley50]

I don't mean to sound like a complainer, but I watched the UNICEF commercials, where very well paid celebs went on about feeding the poor in Africa, reducing AIDs in Africa, etc, etc.What ever happened about caring for the poor here and the AIDs epidemic here? We're not a socialist country, so we have children going to bed hungry. It also sounds disingenuois when you make 12 million a movie and you go on about 25 cents a day.
By a simple estimation, if all the celebs cut their allowance to half a mill, giving the rest to charity they'd collectively feed every child in Africa for years to come. I guess I donate to the feeding of the world when I watch one of their movies, at 8 dollars a ticket and another 8 for popcorn and a drink.
So I will see her next movie and she can make another million dollar donation.

[clearthinker2008]

How come we can't do both?

[kapalabhati]

Ms. Barrymore is doing both. She is traveling to impoverished countries as a WFP Ambassador and paying income taxes on the money she earns here which support programs domestically.. She is very active in other charities as well. She's one of the good guys. No need to villify her for her success.

http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/57-drew-barrymore

[samilli3]

Its funny how these celebs will look for the most country and poor areas of Africa to accomplish missions when they have hungry children in their back yard. I went to school in Kenya and yeah there are lots of areas, especially the rural areas, where children lack things due to poor governance but I have seen areas in the US where you would wonder if anyone knew existed. This thing about Africa and celebs doing charity work to revamp their image is getting on my nerves. Tackle hunger, Aids and adoption in your back yard first.

[clearthinker2008]

How come we can't do both?

[kapalabhati]

Please see my comments above.

[roannamac]

This kind of thinking blows my damn mind. Its like these fools that say President Obama is doing too much.. WHY CAN'T WE DO BOTH. Additionally, are you complaining poverty here to poverty in Africa. Are you kidding? Have you ever been to Afria?

[jown]

Did ya'll know how and what we eat affects hunger, human health, climate change, animal health, and global warming? Like ... fa real!

How about the fact that one CAFO in Mexico produced a virus nearly sufficient enough to significantly jeopardize the species homo sapiens?

There would be much more food and energy and health were we not feeding our food to cars and animals.

Right on Drew! The only radder thing you could do is step up and buy my bicycle: http://www.cafecafo.com/help-4.html

It is time we take action and change; our current policies topple governments, and create terrorists and pirates. Yes, when you are two years old and you don't get nutrition to develop, you are 72% more likely to grow up to be a pirate or terrorist (figure calculated by Cafe Cafo Secretary-General).

I did not know this: Homo sapiens—Latin: "wise human" or "knowing human"

[Southrnbelle]

Three billion a year to cure world hunger, while the U.S. spends TEN BILLION A MONTH to continue these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Obama SHOULD be apologizing to the world!

[Zengeist]

The only problem with this blog is that it's not the lead story. And how cool is Drew Barrymore? Terrific young woman.

[ally5688]

http://www.wfp.org/sites/default/files/WFP_Strategic_Plan_2008-2011_0.pdf
This plan doesn't do a very good job of explaining how the WFP is going to put their goals into action... on the 4th goal, to reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition:

Within a life-cycle approach to hunger and
undernutrition,WFP has long addressed those
“windows of opportunities” that reap the greatest
and most sustainable benefits, specifically
mothers and young children.WFP will support
and – when governments cannot do it and
requestWFP to intervene directly – implement
activities that prevent the intergenerational cycle
of chronic hunger from perpetuating itself and
bring undernutrition (including micronutrient
deficiencies) below critical levels.17

What are the activities? And why do they assume we need to teach people to grow food? Treating them as victims will only perpetuate the cycle.

"The Hunger Project is a global, non-profit, strategic organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger....

The Hunger Project carries out its mission through three essential activities: mobilizing village clusters at the grassroots level to build self-reliance, empowering women as key change agents, and forging effective partnerships with local government," www.thp.orgg).

On THP's website you can read about the Epicenter Strategy and ways that their goals are being met sustainably. There are some similarities between their work and that of the UN.. but I just don't think that we should keep spending money year after year when there are ways to end hunger sustainably.

[positivepatty]

This is a good place to learn about WFP 's work:
http://www.wfp.org/first-time-here

[JePense]

LWR is another way - continuously supporting rural efforts to develop sustainable food sources and grow economies through community (and nexcooperatives etc.

LWR is still distributing food in the Sudan (and nextdoor Chad) after all other aid programs were kicked out. This 4-star (charity navigator rating) organization really makes long term commitments to the world's most poverty-bruised populations -- and these relationships enabled the organization to respond to disasters as well, with a long term presence for recovery.

learn more : www.lwr.org

[mzrecycle]

LOVE this program and all the efforts to get food to those who truly need it. I have an idea that could help raise a LOT of $$$. I could give $25, but with both my husband I retired and living on a total of $37 thou, that is about all.
I suggest that in communities all across the U.S. that there are thousands who could donate homegrown veggies that could be sold at the local Farmers Markets with the proceeds then used to feed those in foreign countries that truly need the help.
All of us who grow our veggies always have excess and I know I would be happy to "grow an extra row" so that the squash or beans or whatever could be sold.
Every year I donate the extra to the local food bank, but would also like to help the truly hungry in other lands as well.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Drew Barrymore will cure world hunger with her cuteness.


Conferences on solving world hunger are pointless if countries like Zimbabwe are intentionally destroyed by their dictator Mugabe, and enabled by their apologists in South Africa.

[Ivatsol]

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

[HidingintheDeepSouth]

All of this is a good thing, but...
I think that we need to think globally about food and resources to produce food.
I don't remember which African country with starving people it was, but it has probable happened to more than one. The US shipped corn to this country. The govt. of this country said "thanks, but no thanks."
US govt. stated that it was corrupt officials that would not allow the corn to come into their country.
The truth was that the corn was whole and could be used as seed. The seed was a Monsanto brand of corn that if introduced could infect their seed corn. The country didn't want to cause themselves a worse problem later.
Monsanto has patents on the seed that they introduce, then charge fees for it's use. This is true even if it is an accident that the seed got in your field; Monsanto will sue you if you don't pay them for the use of their seed. I could go on, but their is too much info to cover.

http://www.monsantowatch.org/
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805

[PwnedByJesus]

Check out Grey Gardens on HBO if you get a chance.

[PwnedByJesus]

Check out "Grey Gardens" on HBO. Barrymore is brilliant.