The obesity epidemic is having disastrous consequences on the health of our nation's children, including alarming increases in childhood type 2 diabetes and childhood high blood pressure. These and other adverse health effects can be linked directly to diets that are high in sugar, fat and salt.
I urge President Obama and Congress to redefine the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to allow only the purchase of nutritious foods (vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy, meat, poultry, and fish) and to ban the use of SNAP funds to purchase products high in sugar, salt and fat, including soft drinks, fruit juice-flavored juices, and snacks (such as candy and candy bars, and chips of all kinds).
This action will have positive consequences for the health of our neediest children.