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Feds Nix Proposal To Ban Food Stamps For SodasThe ban would have applied to any sweetened beverage that contains more than 10 calories per eight ounces.Related Content
(CBS/AP) Are food stamps contributing to America's obesity epidemic? Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City seems to think so - so he proposed a plan to stop people from using the stamps to purchase sugary soft drinks, teas, and sport drinks. But the Big Apple's top health cop got busted. The U.S. Department of Agriculture rejected the proposal, saying it would be too big and complicated to implement. In addition, the department had concerns over its "potential viability and effectiveness."
The ban would have applied to any sweetened beverage that contains more than 10 calories per eight ounces. In a statement released Friday, Bloomberg said his administration was disappointed by the USDA's decision.
"We think our innovative pilot would have done more to protect people from the crippling effects of preventable illnesses like diabetes and obesity than anything being proposed anywhere else in this country - and at little or no cost to taxpayers," he said.
Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson had announced in October that they would seek a waiver from the USDA to start up a temporary program that would be evaluated before becoming permanent.
The city has been actively working to improve New Yorkers' diet choices, with campaigns such as one called "Pouring on the Pounds" that targets the excessive consumption of sugary drinks by linking it to obesity and diabetes. |
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factchecker said on Saturday, Oct 15 at 3:02 PM
The key is diet and exercise, however the title is misealding, many concentrated fruit juices are little more than sugar and water, it makes no sense banning a coke without banning sugar . Is a taco junk food? How about dark chocolate and flaxseed or a bagel v. a glazed doughnut or dole's peach chunkes in syrup, many commentators like to whine and complain about their tax dollars and say just stick with the basic food groups because it makes them "feel good", you know just like telling a kid something that its okay to get a C- in school, for instance is shrimp scampi junk food, after all too much butter is unhealthy too right, too much meat, how about banning certain meat in alaska due to high fat content the gov't should not pick winners and losers.
75369473jjj said on Thursday, Aug 25 at 12:39 PM
Welcome to the new AMERIKA!!!! Now get in line for your handout SLAVE!!!!!
72913177Andrew said on Tuesday, Aug 23 at 8:16 AM
Thats it now that the govenment has wasted the economy and forced every body on food stamps start telling them what they can have or not - also lets make them work for it! Sound alot likw where we came from?
72783602akrock said on Tuesday, Aug 23 at 8:14 AM
Everybody blames the soda but no one wants to take on the caffeine pushers. Kids don't drink soda because it is good, they drink it because they are addicted to it. Caffeine is just as addictive as nicotine and probably causes most of the problems kids have these days. Emotional distress, insomnia, hyperactivity, short temper and mental blocks. I know when I grew up parents knew it was bad and we never got to drink soda pop, tea or coffee unless no one was looking, now parents don't care what their kids eat or drink just to keep them quiet.
72783518_why_ said on Tuesday, Aug 23 at 8:12 AM
Remember the old saying, 'beggers can't be choosy', but in the case of the governments free hand outs, beggers CAN be choosy!
72783409@ alaska tribal LAND said on Tuesday, Aug 23 at 4:35 AM
LOVE MY PEPSI.....Y BOTHER WITH WHAT WE BUY WITH FOOD STAMPS HUH??
72770522jjj said on Tuesday, Aug 23 at 4:11 AM
you knuckleheads are missing the point!!!! Wake up sheep!!!
72769642cooljulie said on Monday, Aug 22 at 11:59 PM
I like the variable value idea! A sliding scale, or just a flat rate difference, so, for example, $100 worth of food stamps would only buy $50 worth of soda, but $100 worth of meat, fish, dairy, produce, peanut butter, soup, etc. It's not THAT hard to come up with a long list of acceptable healthy foods that would suit all ethnic groups. But for crying out loud, soda does NOT belong on that list! As someone else mentioned, WIC has a strict list, so why not food stamps? It's a HANDOUT, and beggars can't be choosers.
72765193Locolobo said on Monday, Aug 22 at 11:46 PM
I work at a convenience store and we accept food stamps. What really burns me up is that it's ok with the state for people to but red bull and other energy drinks on food stamps. By the way I and my family are on food stamps and we buy the biggest roasts we can find and grind them at home into hamburger. What I dont understand is waiting in line at the food stamp office for an appointment and seeing women in line who have Coach and Chanel purses worth more than my old car. If you can afford designer purses, jeans, etc. you dont need food stamps.
72765007viewer1 said on Monday, Aug 22 at 10:46 PM
i am not on food stamps, but i do go shopping. and most of the time, i can buy steaks cheaper then you can hambuger, chicken, pork, or fish. and if you get the family packs, you save even more. and our choice of fruits and vegetables is a liitle lacking, and high priced in the outer areas. as far as soda, to much of anything is bad for you. but the goverment has no right to tell us what we can or can not feed our children. that is becoming a major problem in this country, people thinking they know what is best for everyone else, but they can't take care of themselfs.
72764017jjj said on Monday, Aug 22 at 9:17 PM
blah blah blah! none of you get it!!!! sounds like a bunch of bitchy sheep!
72762541single_mom said on Monday, Aug 22 at 7:51 PM
my kids are on food stamps. we only buy the least expensive AND healthy foods so i get more nutrition out of what the goverment has given us. it disgusts me to see others buy nothing but junk food and soda. have i paid for steaks with food stamps? NO have i bought a soda ? YES every once in a while it is ok to let your kids have a little soda pop instead of water or milk. we don't even drink koolaid. oh and by the way, juice has almost as much sugar as some soda pops. so are you saying i should not allow them to have apple juice on occasion as well? my opinion... let them have their junk food and soda... they will be on welfare for the rest of their lives, which will prolly end early because of the food choices they made. i am only on food stamps so i can finish college and my kids don't go hungry in the mean time.
72760134sarj said on Monday, Aug 22 at 7:03 PM
WIC is very specific about what you can buy so why not food stamps? I see people who use food stamps for very expensive cuts of meat and go out and get into their brand-new $40,000 SUV. If they have put themselves in a position to need food stamps they need to cut down the way they live.
72758349jjj said on Monday, Aug 22 at 6:37 PM
shouldn't we be worried that 50 million americans are on food stamps rather than what they might buy with them? or am I missing the point?
72757122ALASKAN_CNOTE said on Monday, Aug 22 at 6:23 PM
Why not? Soda is the worst thing to put in your body. Yes it is a viable source of quick calories, but I see families burn though soda like it does not effect them. Foods that can be scientifically be linked to obesity are a great start to trimming costs to a program that everyone who is not on, pays for. If things remain status quo, the program will likely face cuts, or changes. That would hurt families, especially rural families, more. Where would you rather be paying cash for pop, or face less QUEST dollars?
72756519akbandit said on Monday, Aug 22 at 6:09 PM
Tony- Soda is cheaper than milk, but why would it be a choice when you can drink water for free (or at least around a dollar a gallon). And obviously water and soda are on opposite ends of the spectrum nutritionally. A pack of cookies MAY cost less than fruit; fruit in season is usually low priced. But a 4 lb bunch of bananas costs about the same year round as a package of oreos. Aside from that, brown rice, for example, is both healthy and inexpensive. So there are other choices. The government is so afraid of offending anyone that they will likely never limit what can be bought with food stamps to basic healthy choices. You can't have people on food stamps feeling discriminated against, though healthy food seems a positive type of discrimination. Instead we make sure they have guaranteed access to garbage food. Amazing how the government is just endlessly stupid. Here's a simple idea- set up food stamps to have variable value- worth twice as much toward healthy food.
72755897bad4us said on Monday, Aug 22 at 5:40 PM
I agree with Jeanie, but I would add dairy products, fish, and peanut butter. I don't have a lot of extra money for my kids to eat garbage, so we don't buy it. I don't want to pay for theirs either
72754703poor humanbeing said on Monday, Aug 22 at 5:33 PM
And I guess next it will be able to only buy organic vegtables grow at special government warehouses.Lets face it if you are poor enough to be on food stamps why is a small pleasure to be denighed you.the goverment wants to much from us anyway
72754423Tony said on Monday, Aug 22 at 4:34 PM
I agree that purchasing steak and lobster is a blatant misuse of food stamps. I also understand that when you can get a gallon of soda for less than a gallon of milk and a package of cookies cost less than fruit that though those options are not better choices for health they are the choices you sometimes have to make if you want to feed your family daily for a month.
72752047Bethany said on Monday, Aug 22 at 4:01 PM
It's a good idea to ban food stamps on unhealthy food, but in Alaska this is not realistic. A healthy diet (especially in the bush) is unaffordable, period. The restrictions or lack of subsistence use make rural Alaskans dependent on imports, and the healthier (fresh) options are vastly more expensive than things with very long shelf lives (sugary groceries, for example). Urban and highway Alaskans also are unable to afford a primarily "healthy food" diet unless they have at least a higher middle class income. For most people with median incomes having fresh or healthy options is considered to be a treat, or a special occasion. It's unfair to eliminate the cheapest calorie providers for Alaskans in poverty and force them to buy VERY expensive "healthy" items. It's nothing short of starvation.
72750859alaskanannie said on Monday, Aug 22 at 3:34 PM
Lets make food stamps for the basics-bread milk, cheese, rice fruits and veggies etc. No T-Bone steaks, lobster or any of the other expensive specialty items.Some of those people I see using food stamps eat better than I do.
72749804Jeanie said on Monday, Aug 22 at 3:28 PM
How about letting them apply to just whole foods of any kind. No hohos, oreos, cheetos, soda, or frozen pizzas. Just meat, vegetables, fruits, water or coffee. While I'm all for having choice and less government regulation, I don't think this would be a bad idea at all.
72749457ed said on Monday, Aug 22 at 3:06 PM
let them drink soda
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