Food Politics

[...] Mondeep wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptBecause rates of obesity are higher among the poor, USDA economists wanted to see if Food Stamps, which raise the amount of money low-income people can spend on food–were associated with higher rates of obesity. … [...]

This is completely anecdotal, but I’ve noticed that people using food stamps tend to buy a LOT of junk food. One of my frequented grocery stores is located near a housing project, so I often see people using food stamps to pay for their purchases. I’m not even talking about frozen meals or other processed foods – it always astonishes me to see them buying soda, chips, candy, and other items with absolutely no semblance of nutritional value. While I’m not a fan of the government telling people what to do, it seems like there should be some policy similar to WIC where you can only buy certain foods that would be found in a balanced diet.

I don’t think food stamps cause people to be fat.
Food stamps were intended to assist people in affording food, not to completely replace the food part of their budget. The individual consumer makes the choice of what food/drink to buy, how much to eat/drink, and how much exercise to balance out the calorie consumption.

[...] Do food stamps make people fat? [...]

I don’t think you can examine a possible link between food stamps and obesity without also examining overall access to healthy food. Do Food Stamp recipients disproportionately live in neighborhoods or cities with few/no supermarkets or other outlets with fresh produce?

I totally agree about access to healthful foods; there is less healthful food available in a lot of low-income neighborhoods. Add to that what seems like an insidious effort to market junk and fast food to people with the least money.

As to the factor of younger women, obesity and food stamps: I wonder if younger women on food stamps are more likely to be raising children than people of other ages and genders who use food stamps. Could these women be prioritizing the more nutritious food they can afford for their children, and getting poorer nutrition themselves?

There also might be a generational component. If you’re raised on fast food (as younger people are more likely to be than older, I would think), it becomes your comfort food and your fall-back food.

Food Is Love

I’m not sure what to make of that USDA report either. Though poverty/obesity statistics demonstrate that we need to keep looking for solutions (even if the USDA says not to blame food stamps).

Food deserts are a contributing factor (to Stacy’s point), certainly here in Chicago. Your idea is compelling, Marion, but my money says it won’t result in positive dietary changes; I think the nation at large is too dependent on empty calories. Most Americans are overeaters. Our poorest eat the most poorly because high sugar/fat/starch foods are filling and affordable.

In the end, making healthy food available and affordable for low income Americans is essential to reducing obesity and overweight, along with longer term solutions like food literacy education in our public schools. Food stamps surely have a role to play here.

i want to be fat

People gain can easily gain weight on foodstamps because healthier food is so much more expensive. Example, When a family of 4 has to really make their monthly allotment of foodstamps. They have to choose between the 97% lean hamburger at $4.00 a pound or the 73% lean at $1.89 a pound. Of course this only starts the children in that family on a road learning bad eating habits.

People who get free anything tend not to appreciate it and therefore abuse it. Welfare/Food Stamps should be setup like WIC where they are only allowed to purchase certain items according to the assistance program guidelines. But as we have all seen standing in line at the grocery store, that person using food stamps then loading the groceries in a $50,000 Escalade, don’t seem they need it do they.
Food Stamps make people Fat in more way than one.

I believe a large contribution to the link between obesity and food stamps is that those who live is low-income areas do not have access to a grocery store that offers a range of food, both healthy and unhealthy. Some members have taken a proactive stance in expanding their options by creating urban gardens.
Also, how can one expect a person to make healthy food choices when that particular exercise was not taught to them by their families or in school? I realize that adults are responsible for their own choices; however, bad habits are hard to break and the more healthy choices a peson makes, the more expensive it becomes, food wise that is.

I work with teenage moms, the poor, and the uneducated on a daily basis. Although I find it hard to compete with the vast number of government programs they qualify for, I attempt to teach them how not to be victims.

I ask my students point blank about their finances. Almost all are on welfare or some sort of government aid and almost all of them spend ridiculous amounts of money on soda and other forms of junk food every month – much more than they would be spending if they chose to eat healthy. The only items people cannot purchase with food stamps are alcohol, hot food, and tobacco products. Some of my students who have families of 5 are getting as much ast $700+ a month in food stamps – this amount does not include the food they receive from WIC or the free bus passes they receive that allow them to get to the store if they don’t have cars. This amount also does not include the cash aid they receive. These people are being enabled by the government programs that are there to, supposedly, help them.

I have done math problems with my students at my desk pointing out how much they are spending on sodas and chips every month. They don’t care. Soups and casseroles go a long way and do not cost nearly as much, but they don’t bother cooking healthy dishes. They don’t have to.

For supposed advocates of the poor to say that people receiving food stamps may not have the means to access kitchen equipment or cannot afford healthy food is not only insulting to those receiving this aid but shows how out of touch with reality these advocates truly are. Middle-class guilt can be blinding. This is America — land of over-consumption. I go to yard sales on a regular basis and find beautiful pots, pans, etc. for next to nothing. These items are often new. And healthy food can, indeed, be inexpensive to make. Even rural areas often have discount grocery stores like the Grocery Outlet, Food Maxx, and Winco. When I was growing up, I lived in a rural area, and we did not have such stores available to us. Things are actually much easier in this respect in present-day America. Many rural areas now do have inexpensive, discount stores at which people can buy quality food products. Discount stores like the Grocery Outlet often have high quality, even gourmet options at very low prices. I know this because I shop at these establishments.

Why are people using food stamps to purchase foods they know are unhealthy? Most of my students don’t work, so time is not the issue. My students either have cars or receive free bus passes from the welfare department, so transportation is not the issue. Every thrift shop has cheap cookbooks, so knowledge is not the issue. My students know that what they are eating on a daily basis is unhealthy. They are not stupid. We need to stop treating poor people in this country like they are ignorant, helpless puppies. They are not idiots. They deserve to be treated with respect. These programs should be designed to help them help themselves. Instead, people are being enabled – enabled by the programs that are supposed to be helping them.

It is true that if people were not allowed to purchase junk food with food stamps, they would probably still purchase some junk food with the cash aid they receive. However, the amount of toxic foods being consumed would be greatly reduced. By allowing people to purchase junk food with food stamps, we are promoting obesity and showing how little we care about those in need.