Do Food Stamps make people fat?
March 23, 2008
The USDA has just come out with a report looking at the relationship of Food Stamps to obesity. Because 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. They were not, at least for most people, but they were associated with obesity in younger women. I have no idea what to make of this, really. It seems self-evident that having more money - enough money - to spend on food means that people will eat more healthfully. But Food Stamps are notorious for their unreliability in meeting people’s real needs. They typically run out after three weeks, which leaves recipients scrambling to meet food needs during the fourth week of the month. Food Stamps do help to address income disparities, but not nearly enough. I’d like to see the USDA do an experiment: give women enough Food Stamps to really meet their needs and see if diets improve.
[…] 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. … […]
Pingback by Do Food Stamps make people fat? | 30 Minute Meal Ideas — March 23, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
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.
Comment by Laura — March 24, 2008 @ 9:30 am
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.
Comment by Sheila — March 24, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
[…] Do food stamps make people fat? […]
Pingback by So Good Blog/News Round-Up 3/25/08 | So Good — March 25, 2008 @ 5:29 pm
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?
Comment by Stacy — March 27, 2008 @ 10:40 am
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
Comment by Debs — March 28, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
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.
Comment by Katie Fairbank — March 28, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
i want to be fat
Comment by godfrey — May 11, 2008 @ 6:04 am
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.
Comment by Joanne — June 4, 2008 @ 6:14 pm