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Meals
On Wheels campaign reveals the staggering reality of senior hunger
in the United States…National survey shows nearly
one-quarter of U.S. adults do not think hunger is a very big problem
for seniors WASHINGTON, March 1 /PRNewswire/
-- Baby boomers are turning 60 every seven seconds, and in 2011, the
first wave of 78 million baby boomers will turn 65.(1) Hunger can
strike at any age, but many people are not aware of the devastating
effects it has on our senior citizens. "The United States is the only
developed country with such a serious hunger problem," states Dr. J.
Larry Brown, director of the Center on Hunger and Poverty at
Brandeis University. "Ensuring adequate food and nutrition is
essential to the prevention of chronic disease and disease-related
disabilities among seniors. As the number of elderly Americans
grows, this problem will continue to plague our country unless we
take corrective action now." Common Misconceptions about Senior
Hunger in the U.S. Meals On Wheels programs across
the U.S. deliver more than 1 million meals each day to senior
citizens and other homebound individuals. However, MOWAA estimates
that 2 million additional meals are required to meet the growing
demand for nutrition services. A recent national survey shows that
58 percent of U.S. adults wrongly assume that most senior citizens
who request food from senior nutrition programs receive it.(3) The
fact is: four out of 10 nutrition programs that feed the elderly,
such as Meals On Wheels, have waiting lists for nutrition services
due to lack of awareness, funding, and/or volunteers.(4) As grim as
that statistic is, it clearly shows the current unmet need amongst
the senior population. The survey also demonstrates that
24 percent of U.S. adults do not think hunger is a very big problem
for seniors and four in five U.S. adults (80 percent) believe that
hunger among senior citizens is most often caused by poverty. Enid
Borden, CEO of MOWAA, explains, "While poverty does often contribute
to senior hunger, loneliness, isolation, and physical problems can
be major contributors as well. The truth is, many senior citizens
who live alone are unable to meet their dietary needs for a variety
of reasons and are forced to make compromises that can negatively
affect their health." Senior Hunger: A Life-Threatening
Disease Seniors who experience hunger are
at risk for serious health problems. Hunger can be life-threatening
by increasing the risk for stroke, prolonging recovery from illness,
extending hospital stays, limiting the effects of prescription
drugs, decreasing resistance to infection, and even increasing the
occurrence of depression and isolation.(5) The majority of U.S.
adults (71 percent) do not believe that they or their loved ones
will ever experience some degree of hunger that will affect their
health. However, with the first wave of baby boomers turning 65 in
the next decade, there is certainly a chance that many older
Americans could be affected by hunger in the future unless steps are
taken to end this significant societal problem. Mayors Unite to Fight Senior
Hunger As part of March For Meals this
year, MOWAA is organizing the first Mayors For Meals initiative-a
visionary effort designed to shine a spotlight on the growing
problem of senior hunger in America. On March 22, 2006, more than
350 mayors, at least one mayor in each of the 50 states in the U.S.,
will join forces with their local meal programs and deliver meals to
homebound seniors in their communities. One of the mayors who is taking
part in the Mayors For Meals campaign and will be delivering a meal
on March 22, 2006 is Mayor David Cicilline of Providence, Rhode
Island. Mayor Cicilline explains, "I think Mayors For Meals is a
great initiative and a wonderful way to get public officials
involved with Meals On Wheels. It will really build public support
and remind seniors that everyone cares about them and that their
city mayors care about them as well." To support MOWAA in its effort to
end senior hunger, log onto
http://www.mowaa.org/ to make a
donation or find out about volunteer opportunities in your
community. About Meals On Wheels Association
of America The Meals On Wheels Association of
America (MOWAA) is the oldest and largest organization in the United
States representing those who provide meal services to people in
need. Meals On Wheels programs across the country deliver meals to
more than 1.7 million housebound seniors and impaired individuals in
the United States every year. The guiding principle to which MOWAA
subscribes is to help those men and women who are elderly,
homebound, disabled, frail, or at risk. MOWAA provides the tools and
information its programs need to make a difference in the lives of
others. It also gives cash grants to local senior meal programs
throughout the country to assist in providing meals and other
nutrition services. The mission of MOWAA is to provide visionary
leadership and professional training and to develop partnerships
that will ensure the provision of quality nutrition services. Senior Hunger Survey Methodology Harris Interactive(R) conducted
the telephone survey on behalf of MOWAA between February 2 and 5,
2006 among a nationwide cross section of 1,032 U.S. adults ages 18
and over. Figures for age, sex, race, and region were weighted where
necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the
population. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one
can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling
error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points of what they would be
if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete
accuracy. |
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