Report: Hunger in 17.4M U.S. households

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- About 17.4 million U.S. households had difficulty obtaining enough food because of a lack of money in 2009 -- about the same as in 2008, federal officials say.

Kevin Concannon, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the department's annual report demonstrates federal nutrition assistance food programs are providing a needed safety net to many Americans.

"Food Security in the United States 2009" says of the more than one-third of U.S. households that reported difficulty in providing enough food, at least one member did not get enough to eat at some time during the year and normal eating patterns were disrupted due to limited resources.

Hunger was more common in large cities and rural areas, and rates were substantially higher than the national average among households with incomes near or below the federal poverty line, single parents, African-American household and Hispanic households.

Fifty-seven percent of food-insecure U.S. homes used assistance programs within the past month including: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called the Food Stamp Program; the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

"This report highlights just how critical federal nutrition assistance programs are for American families in need and the Obama administration is working to provide greater access to this critical safety net during these difficult economic times," Concannon says in a statement.