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Apparently food stamps are making our women fat:

The Link Between Food Stamps and Obesity - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/09/27/expand-the-use-of-food-stamps/the-link-between-food-stamps-and-obesity)

I knew you couldn’t buy alcohol and tobacco with wic but i had no idea you could use food stamps to buy soda, chips, oreos and all sorts of other crap.

My thoughts are if we give people free food that makes them fat then we should be obligated as a nation to give them free healthcare to treat their obesity. Honestly it would be completely irresponsible to do otherwise.

Apparently food stamps are making our women fat:

The Link Between Food Stamps and Obesity - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/09/27/expand-the-use-of-food-stamps/the-link-between-food-stamps-and-obesity)

I knew you couldn’t buy alcohol and tobacco with wic but i had no idea you could use food stamps to buy soda, chips, oreos and all sorts of other crap.

My thoughts are if we give people free food that makes them fat then we should be obligated as a nation to give them free healthcare to treat their obesity. Honestly it would be completely irresponsible to do otherwise.
Or we could give them neither...

Or we could give them neither...


What???!!!!??!?!

What???!!!!??!?!

Haha I guess I should clarify. I'm not talking about doing away with all free healthcare and food assistance. What I was referring to was not allowing food stamp, or SNAP purchases to include crap food. What if you couldn't buy a bag of doritos and a 2 liter Mountain Dew with your food stamps, but you're more than welcome to buy a bag of nuts and an orange juice? I know it would be hard to regulate as far as which products are eligible for SNAP and which aren't, but it could have a positive ripple effect. I also do not think any fast food restaurants should accept SNAP for health reasons. I've been in the grocery store several times in recent memory where the person in front of me is paying with food stamps, and has a grocery cart full of total crap.

Diabetes and obesity are the biggest health issues facing Americans today. Certainly a good diet is the best way to combat this problem. Also, the less low-income obese people there are, the less of a strain on the nation's healthcare system to treat the health issues they will inevitably face.

You say it would be irresponsible to fund junk-food diets and not give out free health care when taxpayer funded eating binge causes health problems. I say don't fund junk-food diets in the first place.

Trouble is crap food is generally cheaper.

Trouble is crap food is generally cheaper.

Yes and no. If you don't buy the name brands, there are plenty of grocery store brand healthy alternatives that aren't expensive at all. My wife and I buy Giant brand products all the time. We're not low income, but every penny counts. A box of Giant brand oatmeal is just as cheap as a box of pop tarts, and much better for you.

Haha I guess I should clarify. I'm not talking about doing away with all free healthcare and food assistance. What I was referring to was not allowing food stamp, or SNAP purchases to include crap food. What if you couldn't buy a bag of doritos and a 2 liter Mountain Dew with your food stamps, but you're more than welcome to buy a bag of nuts and an orange juice? I know it would be hard to regulate as far as which products are eligible for SNAP and which aren't, but it could have a positive ripple effect. I also do not think any fast food restaurants should accept SNAP for health reasons. I've been in the grocery store several times in recent memory where the person in front of me is paying with food stamps, and has a grocery cart full of total crap.

Diabetes and obesity are the biggest health issues facing Americans today. Certainly a good diet is the best way to combat this problem. Also, the less low-income obese people there are, the less of a strain on the nation's healthcare system to treat the health issues they will inevitably face.

You say it would be irresponsible to fund junk-food diets and not give out free health care when taxpayer funded eating binge causes health problems. I say don't fund junk-food diets in the first place.

If I'm correct the only restrictions on the food one can purchase with food stamps are food prepared for eating. Like fried chicken from the deli, or a cake from the bakery but if they want a lobster for dinner go right on and buy that lobster with tax payers money.

@gmscud, yeah I was being sarcastic, and I completely agree that only nutritious foods should be available for purchase (and no bottle water due to Water Dumping fraud above). However; I don’t think it would be hard to regulate at all.

I have a high deductable health insurance plan with a Health Savings Account (like a FSA). You can find lists of whats available for purchase with your HSA or FSA card all over the internet, and even from the stores you buy stuff at. Prior to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) I was able to buy tons of things over the counter easy as pie. When I went to the store I would ring all my items up and then swipe my HSA card and it would charge only things HSA eligible, then I paid the remainder with my credit card or cash. Unfortunately under Obamacare I techniqely need a prescription for ALL hsa/fsa purchases including over the counter stuff, aspirin, cold/flu stuff, allergy medicine, ect. But the technology is there and it works great.

Id rather have someone buy a lobster then a case of mountain dew and a “box” of oreos, but its shameful that either are allowed. Nothing but nutritious foods should be eligible. Prepared foods from the deli or a restaurant need to stay ineligible. I have to get a prescription just to buy a bottle of aspirin income tax free with my own EARNED income, however; people with ebt cards can buy Doritos, coke and cookies with others people’s money. Maybe im missing something but Is there any positive reason why snap participants should be able to buy junk food with their ebt cards? They buy 40% more soda than any other demographic (http://www.cspinet.org/new/201007151.html), that’s just insulting.

@ first down - I was thinking about you the other day….. I heard someone talking about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. It’s a commonly missed small business tax deduction, and this year its been extended for employees for a number of things including food stamp recipients. It can also help you if you hired a ex-felon, someone from a needy family, a kid working summer job or a bunch of other people. Obviously most people wont tell their boss if theyre a felon or rap about their EBT card like Mr. EBT but you can have all your employees call a number and take a confidential survey.

@gmscud, yeah I was being sarcastic, and I completely agree that only nutritious foods should be available for purchase (and no bottle water due to Water Dumping fraud above). However; I don’t think it would be hard to regulate at all.

I have a high deductable health insurance plan with a Health Savings Account (like a FSA). You can find lists of whats available for purchase with your HSA or FSA card all over the internet, and even from the stores you buy stuff at. Prior to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) I was able to buy tons of things over the counter easy as pie. When I went to the store I would ring all my items up and then swipe my HSA card and it would charge only things HSA eligible, then I paid the remainder with my credit card or cash. Unfortunately under Obamacare I techniqely need a prescription for ALL hsa/fsa purchases including over the counter stuff, aspirin, cold/flu stuff, allergy medicine, ect. But the technology is there and it works great.

Id rather have someone buy a lobster then a case of mountain dew and a “box” of oreos, but its shameful that either are allowed. Nothing but nutritious foods should be eligible. Prepared foods from the deli or a restaurant need to stay ineligible. I have to get a prescription just to buy a bottle of aspirin income tax free with my own EARNED income, however; people with ebt cards can buy Doritos, coke and cookies with others people’s money. Maybe im missing something but Is there any positive reason why snap participants should be able to buy junk food with their ebt cards? They buy 40% more soda than any other demographic (http://www.cspinet.org/new/201007151.html), that’s just insulting.




Good info about the HSA and that technology.

And yeah, that's total crap that obese people can continue to drive their health into the ground with my tax dollars, all the while putting a strain on healthcare systems with all the health issues that their taxpayer money food binges cause. 40% more soda than any other demographic?? Insulting indeed.

About a month ago, maybe longer, I was in 7-11 grabbing a few things, and there was this morbidly obese woman in front of me in line. Her purchases were a 24oz bottle of soda, a bag of chips, 7-11 hot dog, pint of Ben & Jerry's, and a pack of cigarettes. I kid you not. Granted, she didn't pay for any of it with food stamps (but the next person in line could be), but if she had, it's basically government assisted suicide funded with our money. I had to bite my lip to keep from saying something to her. It was a pathetic scene indeed. Kind of reminded me of the woman I saw in the grocery store paying for her food with food stamps (EBT card, whatever), and where do I see her an hour later? In that same 7-11 with a wad of $20 bills buying stacks of lottery tickets. My freaking head about came off.

Boy, this thread has gotten sidetracked....

If that pissed you off work in a grocery store as a bagger as that was my first job. They would buy a cart full of foo on food stamps then I'd load them into their new car. I also saw the very poor using the stamps because they needed them to feed their family. I'd say it was about 60% of the people abusing the system and about 40% that needed the help. I will add that they did seem to buy a ton of crap with ffod stamps. They would also send in their 5 kids to all buy some 10 cent candy so they could keep the change. That was back when they had those books with the cupons.