Abstract
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports 45 million people, mostly children, elderly, and disabled individuals, at risk for food insecurity. Congress’s Declaration of SNAP Policy states that the program’s goal is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by raising the levels of nutrition among low-income households. 1 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 7 USC § 2011 et seq. SNAP has been found to successfully reduce food insecurity 2 Mabli J, Ohls J, Dragoset L, Castner L, Santos B. Measuring the Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation on Food Security. Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Measuring2013.pdf. Accessed Published August 2013. September 1, 2016 Google Scholar ; however, the program does not seem to be meeting its nutrition-related goals. SNAP participants consume more foods associated with chronic disease, such as sugary beverages, and less foods considered healthful than income-eligible nonparticipants. 3 Leung C.W. Blumenthal S.J. Hoffnagle E.E. et al. Associations of food stamp participation with dietary quality and obesity in children. Pediatrics. 2013; 131: 463-472https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-0889 Crossref PubMed Scopus (79) Google Scholar , 4 Leung C.W. Ding E.L. Catalano P.J. Villamor E. Rimm E.B. Willett W.C. Dietary intake and dietary quality of low-income adults in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96: 977-988https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.040014 Crossref PubMed Scopus (166) Google Scholar As a result, SNAP participants’ Healthy Eating Index scores have been assessed to be 10% lower than low-income nonparticipants due to lower scores for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, solid fats, added sugar, and alcohol. 5 Gregory C. Ver Ploeg M. Andrews M. Coleman-Jensen A. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation Leads to Modest Changes in Diet Quality. US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Washington, DCApril 2013 Google Scholar Moreover, adult SNAP participants are significantly more likely to be obese than income-eligible nonparticipants. 6 Condon E. Drilea S. Jowers K. et al. Diet Quality of Americans by SNAP Participation Status: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007−2010. Prepared by Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. and Mathematica Policy Research for the Food and Nutrition Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Alexandria, VA2015 Google Scholar Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 7 USC § 2011 et seq. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 7 USC § 2011 et seq. U.S. Public Law 93-86 (August 10, 1973).
Published Version
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