Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
What are SNAP's origins?
1939-1943 - Great Depression - food stamps; 1961-1964 - Piloted Program - food stamps; 1964 - Food Stamp Act - made permanent; 1974 - National rollout
What is the feast or famine theory?
Benefits start on the 1st; use whole month's benefits in the first week
What are some criticisms of SNAP?
Buying high-end items; buying non-nutritious foods; fraud; largest expenditure in Farm Bill
What are the three theories in SNAP?
Cost of food; feast or famine; stress
What is the cost of food theory?
Energy dense food is cheaper
What types of market failures are in SNAP?
Externality - people sell Lone Star Cards to buy drugs; information asymmetry - people are buying food that is not healthy
What is the purpose of WIC?
Federally funded to improve health of "at risk" individuals during times of critical development
What is covered under SNAP?
Groceries, seeds or plants to produce food
What are the barriers to nutrition?
High cost of nutritious foods; not enough benefit dollars to cover cost of nutritious food for the month; not having access to healthy foods nearby - food deserts
Who does obesity affect more frequently?
Low-income, women, minorities
What is the income guideline for SNAP?
Must be at 130% or below poverty line
What is the stress theory?
Overeating because of this
What are the purposes of SNAP?
Provide improved nutrition for low-income households; strengthen the agricultural economy in the US
What is the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program?
Provides fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants
What is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Provides supplemental foods and nutrition counseling to pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children up to 5; at nutrition risk, children with disabilities
What is the EBT card used in SNAP called in Texas?
The Lone Star card
What are some characteristics of access to healthy food?
Types of stores are influenced by race, income, rural/urban; more than 1/3 of SNAP participants do not shop in their own neighborhood due to high prices and/or lack of stores
What is not covered under SNAP?
Alcohol, tobacco, non-food items, food eaten in the store
What are some of the characteristics of SNAP?
An entitlement program; provides monthly coupons to eligible low-income families; which can be used to purchase food; EBT system replaces paper coupons with a benefits card similar to a bankcard; one strength is its ability to respond to local, state, and national economic changes and emergencies; funded by Farm Bill
What is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed)
Assisting SNAP households to implement healthy eating and active lifestyles that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate; how to shop on a small budget; increase food security; safe food handling
What are some health-related trends in relation to SNAP?
Many participants are overweight or obese, and also experience food insecurity; experts state that average benefit not enough to cover more than 2 weeks of groceries
What does one additional supermarket or grocery store = for SNAP participants?
decrease in BMI by .04kg/m
