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The Weight of the Nation

May 15th, 2012 by

Written in collaboration with Elena Hoffnagle Last week, obesity took center stage in Washington, D.C. with the conference "The Weight of the Nation," sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that convened researchers, advocates and clinicians to tackle the epidemic facing our country today. Tonight, HBO will air adocumentary on this issue. While obesity rates have increased dramatically over the past 30 years and ... more >

Supplementing the Food Budget with Food Banks and Food Pantries

May 10th, 2012 by

With the recent economic recession and resulting high rates of unemployment and poverty, food insecurity has become a major public health concern in America. One out of six households in the United States (14.5%) is experiencing food insecurity, defined as having limited availability or access to adequate and safe foods. With enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp ... more >

Obesity Infographic from IOM

May 9th, 2012 by

This week the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) released policy recommendations in a report, Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation, for meeting specific goals to accelerate progress in combating obesity. The goals include: Integrate physical activity every day in every way Market what matters for a healthy life Make healthy foods and beverages available everywhere Activate employers and health care professionals Strengthen schools as the heart of health The ... more >

SNAP and the Farm Bill Budget Visualizer

May 2nd, 2012 by

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry recently approved the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012, also known as the Farm Bill. Because the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, accounts for the lion’s share of this bill’s budget, representing about two-thirds of 2008 Farm Bill spending, innovation in SNAP could have a tremendous impact in improving ... more >

College Students Employ New Strategies to Combat Hunger and Homelessness

April 25th, 2012 by

Amidst plentiful displays of delectable cuisine, college students with all-you-can eat meal plans are thinking about those who are hungry and homeless. In the United States, approximately 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year, with 671,859 people homeless on any given night, and 44.8 million people live in food insecure households, meaning they don’t always have access to enough food. In response, Thach “Tak” Nguyen ... more >

SNAP to Health Interviews Robin Eggers on Garden on the Go

March 27th, 2012 by

Robin Eggers is the Director for Community Outreach and Engagement for Indiana University Health which operates Garden on the Go, a program serving Marion County. Recently, SNAP to Health asked her to share more information about this mobile produce truck initiative, how people can take advantage of the program, and what plans there are for the future. What is Garden on the Go? Garden on the Go is ... more >

Debunking Myths About Food Stamps

March 12th, 2012 by

Written in collaboration with Sejal Patel Food insecurity in America is a major public health concern that has increased significantly during the recent economic recession. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is the federal government's largest food assistance program, providing a vital safety net for low-income people in the U.S. to meet food and nutrition needs. Currently, 1 out ... more >

“Eat Less. Give More. Go Halfsies.”

February 23rd, 2012 by

With 925 million undernourished people in the world, hunger is the world’s number one health threat. Contrast this with the fact that approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is lost (at production, harvest, post-harvest and processing phases) or wasted every year worldwide. A new initiative that will launch this Spring in Austin, TX called “Halfsies” seeks to address these concurrent problems by offering restaurant-goers a ... more >

SNAP to Health Interviews Public Health Attorney Michele Simon

February 21st, 2012 by

Last week the SNAP to Health team spoke with Michele Simon, public health lawyer and author of Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back. Below are some highlights from our discussion. Interest in SNAP Michele Simon has been researching and writing on food industry practices and food politics since 1996.  As a public health lawyer she promotes policies to ... more >

Researchers at Arizona State University Develop Policy Consideration for Improving SNAP

February 17th, 2012 by

The epidemic of overweight and obesity and its multiple causes have captured the attention of researchers, program administrators, politicians, and the public alike. Recently, many stakeholder groups have started investigating the role that food and nutrition assistance programs play in the etiology of the problem and in identifying possible solutions. Because of the tough economic and political climate in which all federal programs currently operate, ... more >

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