"I'm tired, irritable, and having a hard time focusing. Why?"
John is a thirteen year-old living in a small town in Nevada with his parents and two younger sisters. His father's back was hurt in a car accident three years ago and had to leave his job in construction because he could no stand on his feet all day and lift heavy materials. There aren't many jobs in this town, so his mom works two part-time jobs to support the family during the week. Since she is so busy and his dad has difficulty walking, John ends up taking care of his sisters and helping out with buying groceries. John's favorite meal is chicken nuggets and French fries, and his parents do not mind because frozen foods are cheap and do not spoil. When his mom works late, John gives his sisters a candy bar for a snack if they behave. Otherwise they are always bothering him, and he never has any time to himself.
John used to do well in school but recently he has a hard time focusing. Last week one of his mom's work shifts were canceled and his family was short on groceries. John's math teacher noticed he was irritable and was surprised when John reported not eating breakfast. John usually feels better, although sleepy, after lunch when he buys a milkshake and pastry. He used to play basketball after school but stopped since he has to look after his sisters. John also got tired easily and not able to keep up with the running drills that the team did daily. Plus his sisters always seem to have colds, so John thinks that takes away his energy too. He's not sure what to do now that his dream of being an NBA star is gone. Julio, his best friend, wants to invent video games but John would rather just play them.