Betsy elliott, Chapter 9, question 6

The section in chapter 9 that I found most interesting was when Wheelan spoke about american now are five times rich now than in 1940. Yes, I understand how chicken is $3.86 and back then it was $1.23 but it is still cheaper because the average imcome has increased still then but what I don't understand is how so many people still go with out food. I'm not talking about people who don't have a job but the people who have a functioning running how and the mother and father both have jobs. How come they eat rice for dinner and have been for a week? I know other expenses need to factor in here but with the things we have in this decade. In the Great Depression families lost there jobs and/or farms while already being poor and they ate better food than rice and butter. If to buy a phone is only nine hours of work and to get chicken only thirteen minutes then why is this a problem?