Does the SNAP program lead to healthier diets?

Does the SNAP program lead to healthier diets?

By: Mareli Birrueta

INTRODUCTION- overview of the program

  According to Jones, 13% of the U.S. population are unable to provide or obtain food. That is 42 million empty stomachs in America. This is a silent crisis affecting plenty of people and their families. This shocking enormous number points out the importance of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Evan states that, “SNAP is a government program designed to supplement the food budget of low-income individuals.” It aims to provide access to wholesome food and reduce reliance on government assistance. Although it is a lifeline for millions, I will evaluate if SNAP decreases food insecurity and promotes healthy food buying. Programs like SNAP are important in fighting food insecurity by helping people and families access the nutrition they need, especially young adults who are barely managing to survive. SNAP provides food aid, which helps fight hunger and make sure that those individuals who are in need have access to healthy meals. But there are a few problems in the program that can have negative consequences for the people it is trying to help. One big problem is that certain people will start to be too reliant on government support, which would encourage them to be less likely to get a job or try their hardest to be more efficient. This brings about a problematic dilemma in which the help that is intended to elevate them may cause them dependent, degrading the objectives of the program.

ARGUMENTS SUGGESTING SNAP DISCOURAGES HEALTHY EATING

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been criticized by some individuals who believe it may discourage people from working and may result in long-term health complications. Grabowski shows that over-reliance on welfare can leave one with a dependency habit on aid, which discourages individuals from seeking employment or an increase in income. His research shows that people are aware of "benefit cliffs," which are when the addition of a small amount of income can lead to the loss of a considerable number of benefits. This might hold back people from taking higher-paying jobs or from working more hours. It is worth looking into how SNAP can help people eat better foods because its mission is to provide people with the food, they need for healthy meals. While the program lets people buy almost any food, there are still some issues. One of the major worries is that SNAP does not keep individuals from buying sweetened drinks, junk foods, or snack foods, which others argue contribute towards conditions like diabetes and eating disorders (Barnhill). Berkowitz counters this by pointing out the reality that enhancing food insecurity will help curb these diet-related chronic issues.

COUNTERARGUMENTS: SNAP AS A SUPPORTIVE MEASURE

On the other hand, there is a lot of proof showing that SNAP really helps people instead of getting in the way of finding a job. For example, Evan’s research shows that SNAP is a solid program that not only improves family health but also helps lift people out of poverty. It lets families avoid tough choices about whether to buy food or cover other important expenses like housing or healthcare. Verghese et al., point out that “Across all interventions, monetary interventions showed modest improvements in reported fruit and vegetable intake among SNAP beneficiaries.” This program is actually vital for millions of individuals and households, allowing them to fight hunger by making their food dollars go farther, which ultimately results in enhanced nutrition. SNAP is also extremely adaptive, so it can handle change in the economy, allowing many households to be more food secure. By getting people to eat healthy, it has long-term positive effects on individuals, communities, and it drops the stress that is experienced by families in accessing food by ensuring constant support. SNAP provides essential nutritional support that helps recipients to focus on job searches and support their health. It has been proved through research that people who use SNAP eat more vegetables and fruits by 26%. Evan further states that “SNAP promotes positive family health in five domains according to the Family Stress Model, parental and child use of healthcare, family resource allocation, child behavior and development, mental illness, and prevention of abuse or neglect.” This clearly points to the fact that SNAP is not only about buying food; it directly contributes towards keeping overall family and individual health intact.

Differences

The controversial debate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program highlights the conflicting agenda priorities of both parties in relation to its success and implications for people. On one hand, Grabowski has sincere concern over the prospect of increased dependency on welfare programs, as she argues that dependency on government assistance might ruin personal drive and self-sufficiency among recipients. Conversely, Verghese et al. highlight the dreadful necessity of nutritional health for those who are reliant on SNAP benefits. In their opinion, the program's design and benefits must be examined so that nutritious foods are affordable to the beneficiaries since improper nutrition can lead to a host of illnesses. This split reflects a multifaceted debate in which one side emphasizes economic self-sufficiency and the other attempts to advance the quality of life by way of improved health status within the context of the help offered.

Similarities

Although both sides are different from each other they also have similarities. One being their concern about how the SNAP program is currently running. SNAP needs to connect with and help low-income families, kids, and people with disabilities because the program is excessively big and complicated. The program’s overall success needs to ensure these individuals have easy access to SNAP benefits. While the program's structure has been altered very minimally, some positive developments over the years include shifts in funding levels, shifts in eligibility requirements, and the use of electronic benefit transfer cards, as said in Evans research. These advancements work to improve the number of benefits provided based on the circumstances of the individuals. By depositing benefits onto SNAP cards monthly, the program directly helps participants by enabling them to buy more groceries and essentials. The positive impact on food accessibility can greatly enhance the living standard of a substantial number of families. Verghese et al., study shows that employing monetary incentives in combination with nutrition knowledge could be used to enhance SNAP recipients' eating patterns. Both initiatives are designed not only to help financially but to promote healthier consuming habits among participants as well. Through the provision of nutritional education to beneficiaries, the program can ease health decision-making by supplying individuals with knowledge to inform their choices. Potentially leading to better health outcomes and increased program effectiveness.

Strengths and Weaknesses

One of the main strengths I noticed with Grabowski's approach was how he came across because he did a good amount of testing behind what he was writing. He spoke deeply with poor mothers concerning their experiences with welfare help and made the effort to really disect how the program works for welfare. He concentrated on the usually overlooked effects aside from nutrition that households struggle with when they receive SNAP benefits. I did not really notice any weaknesses from Grabowski’s article, he does a great job at explaining how his own opinions tie back into his investigation. In Evans work, he introduces his comprehensive research and approach, illustrating how the SNAP program can prove to be a tremendous assistance to those who really need it. By coupling individual experiences with a lot of analysis, Evan illustrates the significance of learning about the various effects of welfare support on household existence and well-being. A weakness I noticed in his article was the lack of showing how the SNAP program could be bad, he argued mostly on how the SNAP program helps people across all five categories of the family stress model but does not provide information as to why people are skeptical about the program.

CONCLUSION/ my opinion

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a beneficial program that helps low-income individuals and families to reach food and deal with food insecurity and other related complications. It eases the economic burden for those with medical bills or tight financial situations. SNAP's format and enrollment process have become more accommodating, with less complexity in obtaining assistance when needed. Though the general goal is to deliver food aid, there is an excellent opportunity to extend its scope through the promotion of healthy food choices. Adding educational material on how to balance diets correctly would heighten the program's services. A method they can promote participants of SNAP to use is the 5-4-3-2-1 shopping method. For this shopping method, they must buy 5 vegetables, 4 fruits, 3 proteins, 2 grains, and 1 sweet treat. Many gym trainers use this method to build muscle or lose weight. By focusing on these issues and handing out some educational programs, SNAP can increase its effectiveness as a support system to help people improve their nutrition and overall health.

 

 

 

Works cited

Verghese, Anila, Margaret Raber, and Shreela Sharma. "Interventions targeting diet quality of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants: A scoping review." Preventive medicine 119 (2019): 77-86.

Berkowitz, Seth A., et al. "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and health care expenditures among low-income adults." JAMA internal medicine 177.11 (2017): 1642-1649.

Evans, R. William, et al. "Investigating the poverty-reducing effects of SNAP on non-nutritional family outcomes: a scoping review." Maternal and Child Health Journal 28.3 (2024): 438-469.

Grabowski, Lorie J. Schabo. “It Still Don’t Make You Feel Like You’re Doing It: Welfare

Reform and Perceived Economic Self-Efficacy.” Journal of poverty, vol. 10 , no. 3, 2006, pp. 69-91

Jordan, W. Jones. “Supplemental nutrition Assistance Program.” United States Department of Agriculture, FY 2023.

Barnhill, Anne. “Impact and Ethics of including Sweetened Beverages from the SNAP program.” American journal of public health, vol. 101, no. 11, Nov. 2011, pp. 2037-2043. National center for Biotechnology information.