Nearly a third of Egyptian kids malnourished
"Egypt has a hunger problem: Nearly a third of all children are malnourished, according to a new report compiled by the Ministry of Health and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
"The Egyptian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) 2008, published in March 2009, recorded a 6 percent increase in undernourishment severe enough to stunt growth in children under five, pushing the percentage of stunted Egyptian toddlers to 29 percent from 23 percent in 2000.
"The survey collected data in 2007/2008, when gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.2 percent, indicating that strong economic growth had not benefited ordinary Egyptians."
— A November 5 IRINnews.org report.
Nearly a third of young Americans obese
"According to the latest Pentagon figures, a full 35 percent, or more than one-third, of the roughly 31.2 million Americans aged 17 to 24 are unqualified for military service because of physical and medical issues. And, said Curt Gilroy, the Pentagon's director of accessions, 'the major component of this is obesity' …
"In 1987, according to the Center for Disease Control, a mere 6 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds, or about 1 out of 20, were obese. In 2008, 22 years later, 23 percent of that age group — almost 1 out of 4 — was considered to be obese."
— A November 5 ArmyTimes.com article.
World poll: Most think capitalism not working
"Only 11 percent of people surveyed across 27 countries thought free market capitalism is working well, while nearly a quarter — 23 percent — said the system is 'fatally flawed'. A bare majority, 51 percent, believed its problems can be solved with more regulation and reform, the poll said.
"In only the United States (25 percent) and Pakistan (21 percent), did more than one in five people agree that capitalism works well in its current form."
— A November 9 BBC News report.