A new study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday reveals that 14.6 percent of American households -- about 17 million -- are "food insecure," meaning they can't afford a healthful diet or lack dependable access to food.

The number of food-insecure households is the highest it has been since the government began collecting data in 1995. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack called the numbers "a wake-up call for the whole country," before plugging the Child Nutrition Act, which is up for authorization this year, telling reporters, "There's an opportunity for the country to make a commitment to end childhood hunger by 2015."

Food-insecure households were characterized as houses that were unable to afford well-balanced meals, had persistent worries that food would run out without the ability to get more, or had actually run out of food.

Of the food-insecure households, one-third said they were forced to curtail food consumption at one point. Usually, this period of food insecurity extended for a few days, but was repeated over several months. The other two-thirds of households that didn't run out of food were not immune from worry. As families sought to stretch household budgets, the quality of the food and nutrition often suffered, as many turned to cheaper fast-food alternatives.

Along with the renewal of the Child Nutrition Act, provisions that are up for debate include the funding and kinds of foods available through national school lunch and breakfast programs, as well as updating standards and increasing funding for WICs (Women, Infants and Children) nutritional programs. Vilsack is set to testify on the re-authorization on Tuesday before the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

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