Soda and Diabetes- The Supplementary Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) is the primary domestic hunger-relief program. The SNAP program's goal is to provide nutrition assistance to millions of US people who come from low-income families while also providing economic opportunities to those populations. The service collaborates closely with nutrition educators, state governments, and faith-based groups to ensure that those who use the initiative are mindful of it and willing to participate. The initiative has a host of supporters, including the retail sector, who work to ensure that it is constantly updated and administered with dignity. However, it is important to note that the number of individuals suffering from lifestyle disease such as obesity and diabetes has increased significantly in the United States. A report released by the National Diabetes Statistics in 2014 indicated that an average of 29.1 million people in 2012 had been diagnosed with the disease and another 8.1 million had the condition although it had not been diagnosed (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion). The condition was also reported to be on the rise among young individuals between twenty and forty-five years. Statistics have also shown that two in every three adults in the US are overweight with one of them having extreme obesity (NIDDK). Most of the people suffering are individuals with low income and this raises the burden on their already constrained financial position. The SNAP food program allows these individuals to purchase soda and other related foods that lead to the increase of these conditions. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to steer for the change in the provisions of the program to disallow the purchasing of soda with a focus at Colorado State.

Obesity and diabetes in Colorado

Obesity and diabetes is one of the main topics for 2015-2019 PHISC plan for Colorado State. Therefore, in ensuring that the change is implemented, I will recruit the Colorado Public Health Improvement Steering Committee (PHISC) since they are the people who know the effects of lifestyle diseases on the population and especially the low-income individuals. Using the support granted to me by the PHISC, the change will be included in the 2020-2024 plan for Colorado and sent to the congressmen who will then pass a law to ban soda and candy bars in the SNAP program.

Solutions

Lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes require frequent management through regular checkups and continuous medication. Individuals also require to change their diet over time and adopt healthier lifestyles such as eating assorted foods, frequent therapy, and exercise. Therefore, it becomes very difficult for individuals from low-income families to manage such conditions. They spend most of their little money on medication and this ends up putting a burden on the government. The role of the SNAP program is to ensure that individuals from low income are less constrained with their obligation to meet basic needs.

Moreover, the role of the program is to ensure that individuals live a high-quality life. However, the aim of the program is not met fully when the program offers harmful foods such as soda and candy. The consumption of these foods from the program increases the risk for individuals from low-income families. If the people of Colorado would unite and give a voice to the enactment of this proposal, it would contribute to a healthy lifestyle for them. As a result, it would reduce the financial burden that these conditions place on these families.