According to a 2012 study, "Senior Hunger in America: An Annual Report," by Craig Gunderson and James Ziliak for the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, one in every seven people over 65 is threatened by hunger. In 2010, 8.3 million senior citizens 78 percent more than in 2001 - lived under the shadow of not having enough to eat.

Those states with the highest rates of senior hunger are Mississippi, New Mexico, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada.