Grocers and SNAP recipients face perplexing set of rules restricting 'junk food' purchases

In Idaho, candy is banned, unless it contains flour or requires 
refrigeration. (Photo by Denny Mueller, Unsplash)

States that no longer allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program money to pay for "junk food" have left retailers and SNAP recipients confused about which foods are allowed for purchase with SNAP dollars, reports Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post. The new rules may disproportionately impact rural residents, who are more likely to participate in SNAP than their urban counterparts.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his supporters have led the charge to keep highly processed foods off of American tables, beginning with the SNAP program. Roubein explains, "They argue federal dollars shouldn’t help people buy products increasingly linked to poor health and obesity. Trump administration officials have pushed states to bar the use of food stamps for soda and candy."

In response, 10 states received federal waivers to restrict SNAP food choices and rolled out their own unique set of restrictions. "In Iowa, anti-hunger advocates recently sought to highlight how some cold sandwiches and granola bars may not qualify," Roubein reports. "In Idaho, legislators had attempted to clarify the state’s candy ban, since it allows KitKats and Twix because they contain flour."

The fact that each state has its own rules "has led to a complicated and at times counterintuitive maze of new restrictions, according to more than two dozen interviews with trade groups for independent grocers and convenience stores, store owners, anti-hunger advocates, SNAP participants and others," the Post reports.

Fearing the loss of their SNAP licenses, some grocers have banned additional products from SNAP purchases to ensure compliance, Roubein explains. But that change has left SNAP-spending customers not just trying to figure out what their state allows, but also what the store they are shopping in allows.

While most anti-hunger activists oppose the restrictions as further marginalizing and punishing people for "being poor, nutritionists and nutrition advocates have mixed opinions," the Post reports. "Others say they have long sought to test SNAP changes, and want to see data showing whether the new rules impact consumer behavior and improve health." States with restriction waivers have two years to pilot their programs.

Food manufacturers tell Trump and Republican lawmakers to choose sides

NAM's report works to explain the food industry's many moving
parts. (National Association of Manufacturers graphic)

After months of trying to avoid direct conflict with  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or drawing ire from President Donald Trump, the food industry decided it's done dodging the battle.

"America’s food-makers have a message for Trump and Republican lawmakers: You must choose between Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda and ours," reports Amanda Chu of Politico. At its core, Kennedy's "Make American Health Again" plan includes more regulation, and manufacturers say that will increase costs, potentially limit food supplies or consumer access to certain foods.

To drive their message home, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a video and report titled Manufacturers Feed America, which "warns the food industry is 'under increasing strain,'" Chu writes. The video explains that American consumers won't benefit from a state-by-state "patchwork" of rules that don't account for food production dynamics and challenges. The report points out that regulation will inevitably increase food prices.

NAM wants national uniform standards along with "a seat at the table on policies stemming from Kennedy’s MAHA agenda," Chu adds. NAM CEO Jay Timmons called Kennedy's policies and tactics "a business killer." Timmons maintains that Kennedy's attacks on U.S. manufacturers don't align with Trump's promise to reinvigorate U.S. manufacturing. 

Meanwhile, Kennedy has given food-maker concerns "little deference," Chu adds. "He said he thinks the deference policymakers have shown them in the past was a byproduct of the Washington swamp."

The timing of NAM's publicly shared report and video reflects the industry's awareness of "Republican vulnerabilities on the economy in an effort to push their agenda ahead of the November midterm elections," Chu writes. Midterm outcomes will "shape Trump’s influence for the remainder of his term."

Whatever the agenda, American consumers are weary of increasing food costs. Chu reports, "November’s Politico Poll with Public First found Americans across demographics rank cost of living as the nation’s top problem, with 45% naming grocery prices as their 'most challenging' expense, surpassing housing and health care costs."

Rural doctor's weight-loss clinic sees big results with old-fashioned methods: eat better food, less of it, and exercise

Dr. Carol Peddicord holds a model representing five
pounds of body fat. (Clinton County News photo)

A doctor and a pharmacist in rural Albany, Kentucky are seeing big results in the fight against obesity after opening a weight-loss clinic. Since The Doctor's Health and Weight Loss Clinic opened in January, its 433 patients have lost a collective 4,079 pounds, and most have maintained their weight loss, Brett Gibson of the Clinton County News reports.

Dr. Carol Peddicord and pharmacist Arica Collins of Dyer Drug Co. came up with the idea for the clinic after seeing how many patients came in looking for a quick fix to lose weight. But the best way to do that is to live a healthier lifestyle, not through a pill or a crash diet, the News notes.

The emphasis is on healthier, Peddicord told the News: "We don’t want people to be skinnier, we want them to be healthy and live longer."

Obesity is a significantly bigger problem in rural areas than in suburban and urban areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among adults, 34.2% of rural residents are obese, compared with 28.7% in metropolitan counties.

Though the duo first conceived of the clinic because they were worried about children's health, most of their patients are women between 35 and 58. There are a few high schoolers, though, and they're starting to see more men coming in. That's good, Peddicord told the News, because men typically have heart disease earlier in life.

Albany, in Clinton County, Kentucky
(Wikipedia maps)

The clinic, which takes insurance, offers individually tailored wellness plans for patients, depending on whether they have high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or heart disease. They offer diet plans and will soon have plans for meal replacements such as shakes, the News reports.

Though Peddicord was glad to note that the clinic's patients had lost 680 pounds last month, she told the News that pounds aren't the only thing that matter. Patients have seen other "non-scale victories," such as being able to stop taking insulin for diabetes. "People are losing weight, feeling better and are able to exercise," Peddicord said.