"The efforts are aimed at reducing chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes associated with sweetened drinks and other treats, a key goal of Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again effort. But retail industry and health policy experts said state SNAP programs, already under pressure from steep budget cuts, are unprepared for the complex changes, with no complete lists of the foods affected and technical point-of-sale challenges that vary by state and store. And research remains mixed about whether restricting SNAP purchases improves diet quality and health."
"But retail industry and health policy experts said state SNAP programs, already under pressure from steep budget cuts, are unprepared for the complex changes, with no complete lists of the foods affected and technical point-of-sale challenges that vary by state and store. The National Retail Federation, a trade association, predicted longer checkout lines and more customer complaints as SNAP recipients learn which foods are affected by the new waivers."
Five states — Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia — will begin enforcing waivers that prohibit SNAP purchases of soda, candy and other specified foods. The changes stem from federal leaders pushing states to remove items deemed unhealthy from the $100 billion program that serves 42 million Americans, aiming to reduce obesity and diabetes under the Make America Healthy Again initiative. Retail and health policy experts warn that state programs face steep budget pressures, unclear product lists and technical point-of-sale challenges, while research remains mixed on whether purchase restrictions improve diet quality and health.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]