Hunger revolves around food.

REALITY:  Perhaps the most common misconceptions about hunger is that it revolves around food. The supply of food affects hunger in America, but many variables influence the ways people experience hunger — employment status, demographics and location.

There’s not enough food for the number of people in the world.

REALITY:  The world produces enough food to provide for more than 7 billion people, according to the United Nations World Food Programme:

People aren’t really hungry.

REALITY:  The USDA estimates that 14.0 percent of U.S. households (17.4 million households) were food insecure throughout the year in 2014.

This humorous video from an HBO performance by John Oliver illustrates how the myth of food abundance persists:

You can’t be overweight and hungry.

REALITY:  The reality of today’s food climate has forced people to find cheaper alternatives that are often processed, full of fat and sugar therefore less nutritious. A number of researchers are examining links between food insecurity and obesity, especially in children.