Arkansas is one of 12 states that got a waiver to restrict certain food purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. On the right is Arkansas GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. (Getty Images)
"For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy, products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics," Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
"These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health."
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has praised the historic efforts that states, mostly those with Republican leadership, have made to help improve the health and nutrition assistance provided through SNAP.
On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp assistance each month, including one in five American children under 17, according to a report from the Trump administration released earlier this year.
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The USDA waivers allow states to restrict purchases of soda and energy drinks using SNAP benefits. The program is federally funded but state-operated. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
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"There's no evidence that taking away access to soda will actually fight these conditions," he said, according to ABC News. "Sugar is one of those culprits that you always have to be mindful of."
Sutton pointed out that U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that men do not have more than 35 grams of sugar per day, while women are told to limit it to 25 grams per day.
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