People in nearly 7 percent of Alabama households experienced hunger over the past three years because they couldn't afford enough food, the highest percentage in the country, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The report shows that hunger is a growing problem. It affected twice as many households in the state during 2007-09 than the three previous years, a spike likely caused by the economic downturn and uptick in the poverty rate. The percentage of Alabama homes reporting hunger from 2004 to 2006 was 3.3 percent, the report states.

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