In an op-ed bound to cause controversy, author and physician Vanita Rahman suggests that it’s time for the government to quit paying for junk foods with SNAP benefits. Soda, for example, would not be allowed under Rahman’s suggested plan.
Rahman prefaces his suggestions with the data: “More than 42% of American adults, and nearly 20% of children are obese, leaving the U.S. with the highest obesity rate in the world among nations with at least 5 million people,” he says. Conditions exacerbated by obesity include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer.
Following President Biden's efforts to increase benefits for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food relief program, Rahman thinks any changes in SNAP should be used to promote healthier eating.
Currently, SNAP (formerly fulfilled food stamps) cannot be used to purchase hot food, alcohol, tobacco products, vitamins or medicines. SNAP can, however, be used for any other food or beverage items including soda, chips, candies and processed meats — the meats having been classified by WHO as a Group 1 human carcinogen, putting them in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
SOURCE: MedPage Today May 10, 2021