A study out this month has South Carolina at the top of the list of having the most seniors battling hunger. South Carolina ranks 8th with 17.1 percent of seniors battling the threat of hunger, according to the study.
The report, titled "Senior Hunger in America 2010: An Annual Report," was prepared by respected economists Dr. James P. Ziliak and Dr. Craig Gunderson for The Meals On Wheels Research Foundation. The study, which is based on 2010 data (the latest year for which data is available), found that 8.3 million seniors nationally face the threat of hunger, and the problem is growing.
From 2001 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 78 percent, according to the report. From 2007, the onset of the recession, to 2010, it grew by 34 percent. South Carolina showed slight improvement, actually reducing the number of seniors threatened by hunger by one and a half percent in 2009, but still remaining among the Top 10.
Many Southern cities are on the Top 10 list. Mississippi ranks first, with 21.53 percent of seniors facing the threat of hunger. Also on the list are Tennessee (No. 5 with 17.57 percent), Alabama (No. 6 with 17.29 percent), Georgia (No. 7 with 17.12 percent), and Florida (No. 9 with 16.64 percent).
