The federal food stamp program, or as it is now renamed the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) program, funds obesity causing products such as soda according to a research paper published in the American Journal of Public Health. The paper, written by Jonathan D. Shenkin DDS and Michael F. Jacobson PhD, estimates that $4 billion dollars is spent on carbonated soda each year via the SNAP program.

Food StampsNot only is this a waste of taxpayer money since carbonated soda provides little nutritional value, it also promotes unhealthy eating habits. The paper, titled Using the Food Stamp Program and Other Methods to Promote Healthy Diets for Low-Income Consumers, aims to point out methods to assist low income consumers chose healthy eating habits.

Why subsidize soda when water is available for (near) free? This seems wrong on so many levels.

“The federal government should be doing everything it can to reduce the consumption of soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, which promote tooth decay, weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases,” said Jacobson. “SNAP should be oriented toward increasing the consumption of good, healthy food. None of the $65 billion invested in nutrition assistance in 2010 should end up paying for Coke, Pepsi, or Mountain Dew.”

via FoodCEO.