Rejection of expanded SNAP benefits not based on evidence

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ rejection of expanded SNAP benefits for Iowa children through the Summer EBT program is shameful and not based on evidence. Reynolds cited childhood obesity rates and administrative costs as key reasons for rejecting summer food for hungry children.

Unfortunately for Reynolds, the scientific evidence is quite clear that participation in SNAP improves the consumption of healthy foods and is associated with a lower likelihood of obesity (see, for example, Nguyen, Shuval, Bertmann, and Yaroch, 2015: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302580).

Further, the cited administrative costs — 50% of which would have been covered by the federal program — is less than 0.12% of the state’s 2023 FY surplus. Isn’t 0.12% of the state’s budget surplus worth putting food in hungry children’s stomachs during the long summer months?

If Reynolds is serious about reducing childhood obesity, there are evidence-based strategies that could be implemented:

•Increasing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and using that revenue to reduce the cost of healthier options.

•Increasing the daily minutes of physical education in school.

•Ensuring all neighborhoods have access to full-service grocery stores with healthy foods.

•Implementing policies that support breastfeeding.

•Making neighborhoods safer for walking and bicycling.

•Improving access to parks and recreational facilities.

Reynolds’ lack of interest in these policies suggest that her concerns are primarily political. This is appalling, particularly at a time when demand for food at food banks is increasing and donations are decreasing, because hungry children don’t care about red versus blue — they only care about their roaring stomachs.

Jeremy Penn

Iowa City