A study in the latest issue of Economics & Human Biology (abstract available online) notes that women — especially Caucasian women — who receive government assistance for food tend to weigh more than women who do not.
The study, conducted by Jay Zagorsky of Ohio State University and Patricia Smith of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which has questioned the same group of Americans since 1979.
Results suggest that the typical female food stamp participant’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is indeed more than 1 unit higher than someone with the same socioeconomic characteristics who is not in the program. For the average American woman, who is 5 ft 4 in. (1.63 m) tall, this means an increase in weight of 5.8 pounds (2.6 kg). While this association does not prove that the Food Stamp Program causes weight gain, it does suggest that program changes to encourage the consumption of high-nutrient, low-calorie foods should be considered.
Interestingly enough, men who receive such government assistance do not tend to have a greater BMI than men who did no receive such assistance. In addition, while women of color who receive assistance tend to carry more weight than those who do not, the difference between those who do and don’t is smaller among that group than it is for Caucasian women. Across the board, however, people who received government assistance to purchase food saw their BMI increase at an increased rate when compared to those who did not.
Researchers can’t draw a direct link between the use of food stamps, which are now provided in the form of a debit card, but they did speculate as to why the relationship exists. For instance, the average amount provided to those studied was under $100 per month, an amount that would likely not be enough to purchase high-quality foods for a month. In order to stretch that amount as far as possible, it is theorized that many selected “junk foods.”
There was also concern about the fact that monies were placed on the food stamp debit cards for disbursement only once per month. Researchers believed this could lead to binge eating/dieting — consuming large amounts of food at one point during the month and eating much less prior to the next scheduled disbursement.
The study recommends that those provided government assistance for food be provided incentives for purchasing higher quality foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, the researchers recommend that such assistance be provided in conjunction with classes or training sessions on nutrition.
