Anywhere you go these days you are bound to see an “EBT Accepted” sign displayed in a window. I see them often, not only at my local grocery store but also at the neighborhood McDonald’s, Burger King and other fast food chains. Which makes me question, how does one feed their family on French fries, burgers, and shakes with government funded money?
In recent news, Florida State Senator, Rhonda Storms is pushing a bill that will push for food stamp recipients to make healthier decisions, and to take more responsibility with how they spend taxpayer’s money. The bill requires those receiving food stamps be banned from purchasing sweets and other unhealthy snacks, while also requiring those to take a course funded by the state on healthy nutrition. While this bill seems to be stirring up a lot of disagreements, I for one agree with what it is attempting to accomplish (or at least what it should accomplish).
According to pcrm.org, rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes are significantly higher in low-income areas. Banning the purchase of sweets and providing the tools that will help low-income families make better choices puts America one step closer in changing its obesity problem.
It’s too expensive to eat healthy is a major argument. While some healthier options may cost more than the box of sugar filled Hostess Cupcakes, choosing something healthy is bound to sustain you much longer than your cupcakes. These are the lessons food stamp recipients should learn; weighing their options and learning how to weed out the junk food so that their purchases may have longer lasting value. For example, buying a sack of oranges versus a large bag of chips; although the chips may be more soothing to your taste buds the oranges will provide more nutritional value and last much longer.
More steps need to be taken so that our low-income families get the necessities they need. If this bill passes in Florida, it will provide nutrition education that most people weren’t fortunate enough to learn. This bill has the power to end generations of bad eating habits and bad health. Hopefully the next stop for these efforts will be California.