{UAH} NEARLY 5 MILLION ELDERLY GO HUNGRY IN UNITED STATES

Study: Nearly 5 million elderly go hungry in US

The Holy Apostles soup kitchen in New York City.

Fri Apr 25, 2014 6:45AM GMT

Nearly 5 million senior citizens above the age of 60 in the United States suffer from food insecurity and go hungry due to financial strains, a shocking study has revealed.

"In 2011, 8.35 percent of Americans over age 60 faced the threat of hunger - that translates to 4.8 million people," Craig Gundersen, a professor at the University of Illinois, said.

These seniors who are dealing with hunger experience negative health outcomes, according to the study that used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Due to inadequate access to food, seniors end up consuming fewer calories, vitamins and other essential nutrients, becoming vulnerable to an array of ailments.

"Seniors who are food insecure reported higher incidence of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack, gum disease, and a host of other health problems than adults their age who are food secure," Gundersen said. "In addition, food-insecure seniors have worse general health outcomes, more daily activity limitations, and are more likely to suffer from depression.”

The presence of grandchildren at home also impacts food insecurity of the elderly, said the study.

"Food insecurity rates among seniors were almost three times as high if grandchildren were present in the home in comparison to homes without grandchildren present," Gundersen said.

Hunger and its serious health consequences are one of the most formidable public health challenges facing the United States today, particularly among older people.

According AARP, nearly 9 million Americans over age 50 are at risk of hunger every day, a staggering 79 percent increase since 2001.

The recession has made the hunger problem much worse, particularly among older people 50-59 who are usually too young for Social Security and Medicare and too old for programs that help families with children.

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Watcher

Apr 25, 2014 11:36 AM

This is true. I know because I am one of them.Women are hit worst of all.Your family is dead and there is no husband due to death or divorce.Even if she has children,the severity of the economic crisis is such they are unable to help.

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judain reply to Watcher

4/25/2014 12:12:30 PM

usa....I am 74 and live on Social Security. The problem is the 'landlord'. In big cities, especially coastal cities, rents are outrageous. Yet the SS of a person living in these areas and no other income, is the same as one living inland. In NYC a one bedroom tiny apt. could cost 1000 dollars a month. In Buffalo, NY a better and larger 1 bed apt. would be about $550, newer and well maintained. Also a woman's SS is less money because she did not get paid as much as men. Another problem within these 5 million are the mentally ill. I live fine and have money left over because I am in an area that is reasonable in affordability. I don't need them but there are food banks all over my area for those with need. I live in New York State inland and our taxes are high but our social infrastructure for food, medical, rental asst. is strong. Of these 5 million I would guess most would be women for their lack of wage earning power to adjust their SS or allow for savings.

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Mohamed

Apr 25, 2014 8:3 AM

And the country calls itself a bastion of democracy and the 'leader of the free world' !!

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Watcherin reply to Mohamed

4/25/2014 12:08:25 PM

I consider myself lucky because I always managed to have a job--a janitor job,a restaurant job,a private security job, labor jobs;7 days a week, overtime and holidays and 16 hr days.I often went hungry when there was no time to eat and now i go hungry because there is no money for food. The charities who claim to feed the homeless and hungry give you raw potato peelings,a tiny cup of imitation orange juice,bread with mold on it and powdered eggs with dirt in them. So I try not to go there.It is extremely lonely. Because you are old nobody thinks you are capable of intelligent conversation the public perception is have dementia and you should be dead "Useless eater."I can't even describe what it is like. You ARE invisible.And being hungry just makes it so much worse.Thank you for your concern because our government here no longer gives a damn.Over 55? Go die in an alley and there are going to be Death Panels if you do not die fast enough.

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Just World!

Apr 25, 2014 7:42 AM

But america has bought plenty of new tanks and weapons!!!

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Watcherin reply to Just World!

4/25/2014 11:55:12 AM

When the buses were downtown,I would sit on the bench and smell the delicious food from the many restaurants and cafes. I tried to get even a dishwasher job so i could get something to eat but the "illegal immigrants" had all of those and the kitchen manager told me to panhandle somewhere else.Yuppie would yell and curse at me.If you are an elderly person downtown, the police automatically assume that you are homeless and so you have no human rights and they can order you to leave. Just your appearance on the street can get you put in jail.You have no right to sit on a bench or to even look in a shop window.So I stay hidden.My disability check is $713.My rent is $650.It is cheap for here.I use free wi-fi.Electric bill is $50.Average rent here is $2,000.I stay at home so I won't get robbed or mugged as police won't help.

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Watcherin reply to Just World!

4/25/2014 11:47:28 AM

The age discrimination in the American job market is a hard fact of life here. It has always been difficult for women to get a job no matter how good an education or how capable you are.When you are hungry and cold and unemployed and waiting for a bus and you are downtown,the rich yuppies laugh and throw things at you. The city government has managed to get the buses to stop going downtown because they do not want the disabled,poor and elderly to make our downtown ugly." I couldn't believe it but there it is.They call it part of Agenda 21. There is a Mosque that gives charity and shows kindness but there are so many homeless--more elderly homeless than you ever see in the news reports!

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Watcherin reply to Just World!

4/25/2014 11:42:07 AM

It is not just the hunger, it is the fear and the feeling of total rejection and abandonment. I am afraid of Obamacare and since I am over 55, I am afraid if I seek any medical care,they will euthanize me.Obamacare is based on Hitler's T4 because of the hard work I did for years, I have physical pain but there is no medical care.It is hard to believe elderly people are deprived of human rights in the country that tells other countries about human rights!

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