Carrot or Stick: How Do We Promote Healthy Eating?

Summary

Federal funds could not be used to pay for sugar-sweetened beverages under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps), if recommendations from the Bipartisan Policy Center are adopted. In its 2018 report, Leading with Nutrition, the center calls for restrictions and incentives that would recast SNAP as a tool for healthy eating. Other advocates argue that giving people more purchasing power or other rewards for choosing nutritious foods is the best pathway to good health. The optimal relationship between agricultural and nutrition policies and health is up for debate, but there is agreement on the overarching goal: improved health outcomes and reduced costs.