Food Insecurity, Food and Nutrition Programs, and Aging: Experiences from Georgia

Food insecurity and hunger are real and growing problems in the United States. Among older adults, the prevalence of food insecurity is at a 14-year high and occurred in more than 8% of households with older adults in 2008 according to USDA. However, the rate is at least 10% higher when less severe degrees of food insecurity are considered. Emerging research suggests that several segments of the older adult population are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity, including those receiving or requesting congregate meals, home-delivered meals, and other community-based services. Thus, national and state estimates of food insecurity may obscure problems in specific subgroups of older adults. Older adults are at high risk of chronic health problems that can be exacerbated by food insecurity, poor nutritional status, and low physical activity. To help improve targeting of food and nutrition programs to those most in need because of food insecurity and/or nutrition-related chronic health problems, the purposes of this review are (1 U.S. Administration on Aging. A profile of older Americans. 2009 . Accessed at http://www.aoa.gov/aoaroot/aging_statistics/Profile/index.aspx on 10 March 2010. [Google Scholar]) to define the prevalence and consequences of food insecurity; (2 Wolff JL , Starfield B , Anderson G. Prevalence, expenditures, and complications of multiple chronic conditions in the elderly . Arch Intern Med. 2002 ; 162 ( 20 ): 2269 – 76 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to discuss the outcomes of some food, nutrition, disease prevention, and health promotion programs targeted to older adults in Georgia, the state with the 3rd highest prevalence of food insecurity; and (3 Kamp BJ , Wellman NS , Russell C. Food and nutrition programs for community-residing older adults—position of the American Dietetic Association, the American Society for Nutrition, and the Society for Nutrition Education . J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 ; 110 ( 3 ): 463 – 72 .[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to make recommendations for research, service, and advocacy related to monitoring and alleviating food insecurity and related health problems in older adults.