The Aging Well Podcast Food for Thought: The Hidden Hunger Crisis Facing Older Adults | Ep. 359
More than 7.4 million adults age 60 and older in the United States are food insecure, yet nearly half of those who qualify for nutrition assistance never receive it. For many older adults, the choice is not between healthy food options—but between food, housing, medication, and basic survival.
In this episode of The Aging Well Podcast, Dr. Jeff Armstrong is joined by Drs. Colleen Heflin and Madonna Harrington Meyer, co-authors of the new book Food for Thought. Drawing on powerful stories and rigorous data, they unpack the realities of food insecurity among older adults, the barriers that prevent access to programs like SNAP, and why current systems often fail the very people they are designed to support.
They explore how hunger accelerates chronic disease, threatens independence, and undermines the core goal of aging well—autonomy. As policymakers debate funding and reform, this conversation brings clarity to what those decisions mean on the ground and what must change if we are serious about supporting healthy aging in our communities.
Learn more about Drs. Heflin and Harrington Meyer at https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/
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