Welfare and Obesity

I got an email asking me to sign this petition:
https://www.change.org/petitions/petition-food-stamp-recipients-eat-like-royalty-massive-waste-obesity

So I googled and came up with these:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810122139.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/12/food-stamp-recipients-mor_n_257327.html

Do you feel like this is a problem? If so how would you fix it? If not, why?

Manditory cooking and nutrition classes?
Only allowing an approved list of foods to be purchased?
Special rebates or incentives for local farmers for local produce and meats?

I was fat way before I got assistance. I actually went through a terrible depression a couple years ago and gained a lot of weight but I have lost a lot since then and I get FS. I think it's ridiculous to connect the two.

Make processed foods more expensive and fresh foods cheaper, while still paying the farmers a fair wage... Simple, right?

If you go to the grocery store a pack of all beef hotdogs are $3 & a regular pack is 89cents, you have several kids to feed on a tight budget. which would you get

I think if we're going to have a program like this (food assistance programs) then we need to go full circle with it and provide nutrition information/counseling. I mean, if hunger prevention is the whole concern and everything.. nutritious foods help deter hunger significantly better than all that processed crap. I feel it's a big problem in America, a lot of Americans are simply ignorant when it comes to proper nutrition.

People will do what they please. I don't think the government has a right to tell anyone what to put in their bodies. It's a pretty grey area to me and seems unconstitutional. Sure, I like the idea, but it also seems like hindrance upon citizen's personal sovereignty. Whatever they have left of it, anyway.

I kinda do feel like its a problem..... Mainly bc some ppl on welfare don't seem to realize that first off, food stamps are meant to help w your grocery bill every month, make it easier for ya to get fruits and veggies and healthier food. For some reason most of the time you see ppl using their foodstamp card at the checkout they have chips, cookies, pop, basically just junk. I think there should be certain foods that are off limits, besides the already off limits energy drinks, alcohol and what not.  
I'm not saying that ALL of the ppl that recieve foodstamps misuse them but aLOT of them do....hence why their BMI would be higher....

Also look at the morbidly obese people who receive food stamps, most of them receive SSI or Disability therefore they DON'T work & don't get adaquate excercise

Food stamps could be redone to be more like WIC. You get so much for fruit and veggies, so much for meat, so much for starches and then a small junk food budget. Some people rely on them completely and it wouldn't be fair to say they aren't allow to buy ANY junk food because they are poor but it should be limited. Honestly, everyone's junk food spending should be limited and they should bring back home ec in high schools but that will never happen.

Quoting Misty Walls:" If you go to the grocery store a pack of all beef hotdogs are $3 & a regular pack is 89cents, you have several kids to feed on a tight budget. which would you get"

My aunt and uncle have 3 kids and still have enough foodstamps to buy steak and stuff, our grocery budget is 1/4 what they get and we only eat healthy/whole foods!

Quoting MAIKENTRA:" People will do what they please. I don't think the government has a right to tell anyone what to put ... [snip!] ... I like the idea, but it also seems like hindrance upon citizen's personal sovereignty. Whatever they have left of it, anyway. "

Theyre paying for it so why not? Beggars can't be choosers and all that.

<blockquote><b>Quoting ¡VinHautℰ!:</b>" I think if we're going to have a program like this (food assistance programs) then we need to go full ... [snip!] ... processed crap. I feel it's a big problem in America, a lot of Americans are simply ignorant when it comes to proper nutrition."</blockquote>

I agree with this...I'm amazed at what some people eat.

So much processed foods, not balanced, barely any vegetables..

Quoting Punk Rock Princess {EBFT}:" Theyre paying for it so why not? Beggars can't be choosers and all that."

Yeah, but it's kind of like the bullsmurf thing where Florida wanted to to mandate drug testing in exchange for welfare. It's a whole lot more of the tax payer's dollars and seems like a waste of time. Even if you're a stupid person, you gotta know that cheetos aren't good for you or your family. People will do what they please, and that includes eating crap.

I"m on food stamps with 3 kids. I know how to eat healthy, I feed my children healthy meals -- my daughter loves broccoli and applesauce and she doesn't get dessert if she doesn't eat enough of her dinner....

IF they implement any sort of nutrition counseling for food stamp recipients, it should be based on their state of health. No one in my family is even CLOSE to being overweight/obese... so why should I have to go to those classes simply because I'm on assistance? It would be a waste of my time and their money.

and what business is it of yours (or anyone's) if I eat steak or lobster? How you purchase and manage your groceries is none of my business, so don't make mine yours simply because I'm poor.