As legislators continue to weigh health concerns and propose modifications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a new study suggests banning subsidies for sugar-sweetened beverages could reduce the rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Conducted by the health policy, thought, and research journal Health Affairs, the study examined the impact of two proposed government policies. The policies propose banning the usage of SNAP dollars to buy sugar-sweetened beverages, and a subsidy where 30 cents is credited back to SNAP benefits cards for every SNAP dollar used towards fruit and vegetable purchases.