As someone who fasts intermittently, and has come to understand the cognitive effects on the brain of caloric deprivation, it's saddening to think of a child experiencing a similar effect. Unlike a voluntary faster like me, the circumstance is completely out of the child's control and probably happening while they are facing any number of other family challenges.

On top of that, they are in this condition while in school, where they are being evaluated for their cognitive performance.

It really underlines the dire importance of things like free school breakfast, lunch and snack programs.