Hat's Off: Frederica Wilson Has Hungriest Congressional District in Nation

A survey by the Food Research and Action Center reported Thursday that nearly one out of every three Florida households with children reported not having enough money for food at some point during the last 12 months.

Data compiled by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index project showed that 50.4 percent of respondents with children in the 17th Congressional District in Miami said they had been unable to afford enough food for their families. The food hardship rating for households without children was 17.7 percent.

The low-income district is represented by first-term U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, who succeeded Rep. Kendrick Meek.

All but two of the congressional districts in Florida had more than 23 percent of households with children reporting food hardship in 2008-2010.

In ranking metropolitan statistic areas, the Orlando-Kissimmee MSA scored 33.9 percent, second only to Winston-Salem, N.C. Orlando-Kissimmee's households without children stood at 18.4 percent.

Lakeland-Winter Haven tied for third worst in the country.Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach was 12th, while Cape Coral-Fort Myers is tied for 20th.