Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Rising Food Insecurity And Conservative Policy In The Us: Impact On The Elderly, Peter S. Arno, Kenneth Knapp, Stephan Russo, Deborah Viola

NYMC Faculty Publications

Food insecurity, a critical problem in the developing world, has recently received increased attention among wealthy nations. Food insecurity, broadly defined, is when a lack of resources prevents household members from having enough food. In the US, food insecurity has been rising while social safety net programs to ameliorate hunger among at-risk households have been targeted for cuts by conservatives. Our main objective was to assess the prevalence and impact of food insecurity among the elderly. In a survey of 500 older, homebound meal clients in New York City, we found that nearly one in five (17%) is food insecure, …