Food Stamps

Food stamps were once considered something only lower class families relied on to get by. A recent New York Times article by R. Deparle and J. Gebeloff entitled “Food Stamp Use Soars, and Stigma Fades” addresses the latest changes in the number and variety of people using this program to get by. Using food stamps often came with many stigmas attached, and it was believed that those receiving government aid were lazy and did not work hard enough to support themselves. However the recent use of food stamps has increased drastically since the downturn in the economy and people who once held well paying jobs now find themselves struggling to put dinner on the table. In Ohio, people who worked for automobile manufacturers were laid off by the thousands, and people who live comfortable lifestyles have had to adjust to living on unemployment. According to this article, an astounding one in eight people uses food stamps in the United States. This assistance program has expanded since Bill Clinton’s term as president, and recently underwent a name change. Food Stamps is now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It has received criticism for just being another welfare system that does not help reduce poverty, and also because the system has been abused by those who do not need it or misuse the resources they are given. Despite these claims, SNAP has come to the rescue for many people hit by the tough economic times.

I was unaware, like many people, at how broad the range of people using food stamps has begun. From this article, it seems like they are mostly being put to good use, but I would like to know what types of food people are buying with food stamps. I know they are used mostly for basic staples, but is this program encouraging healthy eating habits as well? We learned in the Omnivore’s Dilemma that part of our national eating disorder stems from the fact that unhealthy foods are relatively inexpensive, and that obesity is strongly linked with a low-income (and being eligible for food stamps). This article portrayed food stamps in a positive way, but I have to question how effective the system is. My step-dad owns a butcher shop in a relatively poor community, and has many customers on food stamps. I always heard criticism of food stamps from my parents growing up because people would use their food stamps to buy lobster and expensive cuts of meat from the store. Should this system have more regulations? What changes could make it better?