Mississippi could soon join a growing number of states receiving waivers to modify what recipients of food assistance programs can purchase at the grocery store. When asked Wednesday if he would pursue permission from the federal government to prohibit recipients from using government subsidies to buy junk foods, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves confirmed that he’s looking into it.
“It is on my radar,” Reeves said, noting he discussed the idea further with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., at the National Governors Association summer meeting. “I spent some time with my fellow governors a week or two ago. We also had meetings with Secretary Kennedy while we were at the conference, very productive meetings, and that is something we are looking into.”
Currently, 12 states have obtained waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, amending the statutory definition of food for purchase under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In many cases, SNAP recipients have been barred from using their money from the taxpayer-funded program on sugary beverages, sodas, candy, snack cakes, and other ultra-processed snacks.
Kennedy, the mind behind the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, has long argued that junk foods are leading culprits behind chronic illnesses that have grown in prevalence for decades.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of American adults had at least one chronic condition, and over 25% had two or more chronic conditions in 2018. In 2016, the total direct health care costs in the U.S. for the treatment of chronic health conditions were $1.1 trillion.
Kennedy has contended that taxpayers are bearing the brunt of these costs by subsidizing products that allegedly directly lead to these poor outcomes and covering healthcare costs through government-funded programs.
“For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy — products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,” Secretary Kennedy stated. “These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health. I thank these governors who have stepped up to request waivers, and I encourage others to follow their lead. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.”
In Mississippi, Reeves has endorsed Kennedy’s line of thinking, asserting that it is illogical for the government to fund a food assistance program that allows people to buy products that could directly lead to them developing a chronic illness. Around 13% of the state’s population, or just over 384,000 people, receive SNAP benefits, while roughly 27%, or just north of 801,000 people, receive some federal healthcare assistance.
To alleviate some of the healthcare costs associated with chronic diseases, many federal and local officials believe that promoting health and wellness could reverse troubling trends. One of the first steps in accomplishing this goal is removing unhealthy foods as an option for people to purchase with SNAP funds.
“In many ways, a lot of these products that are now being banned in certain states are products that are leading to individuals, that are on the SNAP program that is funded by the federal government, [suffering] bad health outcomes — diabetes, etc. — and it doesn’t make any sense for the government to fund these products, and then, fund through Medicaid or Medicare, huge healthcare expenses,” Reeves said.
So far, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Texas, and Utah have been given the green light to remove junk foods as SNAP-approved items. Mississippi, per its governor, is contemplating being the next state to hop on board.
“I hope to see all 50 states join this bold commonsense approach. For too long, the root causes of our chronic disease epidemic have been addressed with lip service only. It’s time for powerful changes to our nation’s SNAP program,” Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Martin Makary said. “The goal is simple—reduce mass suffering from diabetes, obesity, and other long-term medical conditions. I applaud the leadership of Secretaries [Brooke] Rollins and Kennedy, and President Trump in going bold.”
