Excellent Article about Subsidies and Obesity

A new study has found that taxpayer-funded food subsidies are making us obese and unhealthy. TIME Magazine has an excellent write-up of the study.

A new study has found that taxpayer-funded food subsidies are making us obese and unhealthy. Here’s an excellent write-up on the Time Magazine website. And here’s the study on JAMA Internal Medicine.

Here’s our own report on junk food subsidies from a couple of years back. 

These two sentences from the Time article best summarize the findings: 

“Even though these are not the foods the government tells us to eat with their dietary guidelines, they’re the foods the government makes cheap. More than half of Americans’ calories came from subsidized foods, the study authors found.” 

To remedy this situation, we’ll need a smarter Farm Bill in 2018. To do that, Congress will need to (a) acknowledge that farm subsidies are causing negative health consequences and (b) stand up to Big Ag and other powerful interests that will surely fight to keep the subsidies coming. 

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Steve Blackledge

Senior Director, Conservation America Campaign, Environment America

Steve directs Environment America’s efforts to protect our public lands and waters and the species that depend on them. He led our successful campaign to win full and permanent funding for our nation’s best conservation and recreation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He previously oversaw U.S. PIRG’s public health campaigns. Steve lives in Sacramento, California, with his family, where he enjoys biking and exploring Northern California.

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