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A significant and continuously growing portion of the American population is facing the issue of obesity, which has been labeled as an epidemic by many health experts. Over the past few decades, the percentage of obese adults in the United States has dramatically risen from 15% to 42%, while the percentage of obese children has increased from 6% to 20%.
Obesity has enormous implications for our healthcare system, as it contributes to the development of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and various other health conditions.
Congress should thoroughly investigate whether federal food subsidies are fueling this epidemic before reauthorizing the massive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) within this year’s farm bill. SNAP, commonly known as the food stamp program, provides food assistance to approximately 42 million low-income individuals in America.
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The cost of this program has skyrocketed from $63 billion in 2019 to $145 billion this year.
America’s obesity problem might be tied to SNAP, the food stamp program that subsidizes food consumption for 42 million low-income Americans. (iStock)
Subsidizing food intake for individuals with low incomes seems contradictory, considering that low-income adults and children tend to have higher obesity rates compared to the rest of the population. Even among low-income individuals, SNAP recipients have a higher obesity rate than non-recipients.
In a 2021 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it was found that adult men participating in the SNAP program had a higher obesity rate (37%) than low-income men who were not part of the program (32%), while adult women in the SNAP program had a higher obesity rate (52%) than low-income women who were not part of the program (40%).
The exact reasons behind these elevated obesity rates are not yet fully understood. Although the average daily caloric intake has increased by a similar percentage for both low-income and non-low-income individuals since the 1970s, there are variations in the types of calories consumed. Back in the 1960s when food stamps were introduced, low earners often struggled with insufficient food, but the situation has now changed, with excessive consumption of unhealthy food becoming the issue.
SNAP benefits can be used to purchase almost any type of food from grocery and convenience stores, with the exception of alcohol and food meant for on-premises consumption. According to a 2016 USDA study, 23% of food purchases made by SNAP households consisted of sugary drinks, desserts, salty snacks, candy, and sugar, which can all be classified as junk food. Considering the $145 billion spent on SNAP this year, approximately $33 billion is used to subsidize junk food.
On average, SNAP recipients have less healthy diets compared to other Americans, including low earners who are not participating in the program. The same 2016 USDA study found that 9.25% of food purchases made by SNAP shoppers were sweetened beverages like cola, compared to 7.1% for non-SNAP shoppers.
In a 2018 USDA study, food purchases made by SNAP households were compared to those made by lower-income non-SNAP households. It was found that SNAP households acquire 31% fewer total vegetables, 40% fewer dark green vegetables and beans, 24% fewer whole fruits, 20% fewer whole grains, and 27% fewer seafood and plant proteins for every 1,000 calories acquired.
When it comes to obesity, it seems that the issue lies not only in the quantity of food consumed but also in the quality of food. For several decades, the government has encouraged Americans to consume carbohydrates while downplaying the importance of protein and fat in their diets. The USDA’s well-known food pyramid advocated for six to eleven servings of grains, while recommending only two to three servings of meat, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
However, some nutrition experts now believe that the government’s advice was flawed and that increased carbohydrate intake is a driver of obesity. According to USDA data, average daily carbohydrate intake has risen by 22% for all individuals since the late 1970s, while fat intake has increased by 12% and protein intake remains unchanged. For low-income individuals, carbohydrates have increased by 26%, fat by 11%, and protein has decreased by 3%.
The reasons for these higher obesity rates are not fully understood. Since the 1970s, average daily calories have risen about the same percent for low-income and other Americans, although the types of calories vary. When food stamps were created in the 1960s, low earners suffered from insufficient food, but today they consume too much unhealthy food.
A USDA website states that “poor nutrition is a leading cause of illness in the United States, associated with more than half a million deaths per year,” yet the agency’s largest program, SNAP, fails to provide proper nutrition. The SNAP program itself warns against the consumption of sugary drinks, yet these are the most frequently purchased items by recipients.
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SNAP’s approach of subsidizing total caloric intake doesn’t make sense in a population struggling with obesity. One possible reform would involve discontinuing subsidies for cola and other junk foods, as suggested by Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio.
Another reform option would be to replace SNAP’s current “subsidize-all-foods” method with
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