Food Stamp Program Linked to Weight Gain in Women

New research based on following participants for fourteen years finds that women on the U.S. food stamp program¹ steadily gain weight, even when compared to others of equivalent socio-economic status that are not in the food stamp program.  The same difference was not found amongst men.

Prior to entering the program a woman’s weight gain each year was very slight, less than ½ pound.  Once on the program they gained about 3 pounds a year until they got off the program.  Once off they continued to gain 1 – 1 ½ pounds each year – meaning the program itself induced changes in metabolism that were not readily fixed.

I realize that the U.S. food stamp program serves an important safety-net purpose.  However, there are those who game the system and turn it into a lifestyle.  Money well spent is typically money earned.  Many of the 28 million Americans participating in this program are on a faster track to obesity, which predicts significant future health care costs that will also, apparently, be paid for by others.

This is simply one more example of how our government struggles to get a helpful program to actually be helpful.