Why Hunger Groups Oppose SNAP Soda Ban

Why Hunger Groups Oppose SNAP Soda Ban
A man picks up a Coca Cola bottle in a supermarket of Fort-de-France, on March 30, 2013 in the French caribean island of La Martinique. The French national assembly on March 27, 2013 ruled to align the additional sugar rates of the products sale in the overseas territories with the mainland's rates. AFP PHOTO JEAN-MICHEL ANDRE (Photo credit should read JEAN-MICHEL ANDRE/AFP/Getty Images)
A man picks up a Coca Cola bottle in a supermarket of Fort-de-France, on March 30, 2013 in the French caribean island of La Martinique. The French national assembly on March 27, 2013 ruled to align the additional sugar rates of the products sale in the overseas territories with the mainland's rates. AFP PHOTO JEAN-MICHEL ANDRE (Photo credit should read JEAN-MICHEL ANDRE/AFP/Getty Images)

On its face, it’s a concept that makes sense: Remove sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda and sports drinks from the list of products that can be purchased with money from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Americans receiving the nutrition benefit spend close to $2 billion annually on sugary drinks, which account for 58 percent of beverages purchased by SNAP recipients. Considering soda consumption has been linked to obesity and an increased chance of developing diabetes, it’s understandable why the American Medical Association (AMA) and the mayors of 17 of the nation’s biggest cities want the federal government to drop sugar-sweetened beverages from the program.

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