“Eat your peas!” While those words may be rooted in love when your mother says them, love is the last thing that comes to mind when lawmakers try to impose dietary restrictions on Americans.
A handful of members of Congress believe it is time they raid the refrigerators of over 40 million lower-income Americans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through proposed legislation labeled The Healthy SNAP Act. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says his bill will “ensure that SNAP program funds go toward healthy nutritious food.”
From a fiscally conservative viewpoint, this may appear an ideal proposal: save the taxpayers some money while nudging our fellow citizens toward a healthier lifestyle. Though seemingly benign, empowering politicians to set standards on diet and nutrition for anyone, including those on public assistance, is fraught with peril as much as any expansion of government power over consumers’ choices. The restrictions would start with SNAP stakeholders but soon spread everywhere.
A federal blacklisting of foods will trickle down to professional and health organizations, and state and local governments, future legislation, and become standards referenced by insurance and healthcare providers. Those in the past who have attempted to regulate drink sizes, salt intake, or red meat would have a new weapon with which to cudgel the public, leading to less choice and higher costs for consumers.
The same government that produced the low-fat, high-carb food pyramid that coincided with skyrocketing cardiac disease in the 1950s has proven they have no business acting as the nation’s Nutrition Czar. Consumers should be trusted to make grocery store decisions that best fit their own needs, even if that includes the occasional snack or treat.
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