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Tuesday, February 23, 2010 | 8:39am
[RANT] The Answer To African America’s Obesity Epidemic: FOOD STAMPS!
I’m tired of paying tax dollars to keep Our People fat then paying more to figure out why
I live in the Bedford-Stuyversant (Bed-Stuy) area of Brooklyn. For those who are unfamiliar, contrary to what you’ll hear in old B.I.G. or Jay-Z the neighborhood isn’t as hood as it used to be…PART OF IT! The neighborhoods particularly the one depicted in the film “Notorious” is actually completely gentrified. (Clarification: Biggie wasn’t from Bed-Stuy his neighborhood was more of Clinton Hill/ Fort Green)
Anyway, every weekend I’ve gotta go to the supermarket and do the grocery shopping. And it doesn’t matter whether I go to the Super Foodtown on Fulton St. or perhaps the Food Dimensions on Myrtle and Broadway, cash AINT king, Plastic rules and I’m not talking about a credit card. I’m referring to the NYS Benefit Card aka FOOD STAMPS!
Now before you get mad, I don’t have a problem with public assistance or Food Stamps in fact I think its necessary for families struggling to make ends meet, perhaps with a disabled or single parent household. However, correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t it supposed to limited to such unfortunate situations, those who may have hit hard times aka THE HUNGRY?! So why in the hell are the folks who use them more often than not visibly obese.
I thought about this on the bus this morning while listening to a woman who was easily 450 lbs+ tell her friend about how she was struggling to put food on the table and that she needed more money on her benefit card each week? She said she had to send her 2 kids to go live with their aunt. Are you serious?
Lately the Government here in New York and on the Federal level has been scratching their collective heads behind the obesity epidemic in America which unfortunately disproportionately affects poor blacks more than other group. They’ve hired hundreds of experts, doctors and scientist to offer a reason.
Maybe they all need to stand in line with me at Foodtown as I wait 30 minutes for the 300 lb mother of four obese kids to ring up their TWO carts overflowing with food. OH BUT NOT JUST ANY FOOD. TV dinners, boxes of Little Debbies Snacks, Good Humor Ice Cream Pops, frozen breakfast sausages, bottles and bottles of High Fructose Corn Syrup infused “Red” Juice, packs and packs of red meat, full fat milks, candy, pounds of sodium packed cold cuts, condiments out the ass, boxes of MSG laced “just add water” pasta dinners oh and of course can’t forget the calorie busting Lunchable instant lunch packs for the kids because when you’re that damn big, you’re too lazy to make your kids a healthy lunch in the morning.
What ever happened to bread, milk and eggs? What did it say on the grocery list? Two of everything? So without fail every time they finish ringing up their $200+ tax free tab, out pops the Benefit card, swipe…then they push their fat asses and carts to the the car.
As I mentioned, my neighborhood is in a state of transition, gentrification. So the hipster white folks have definitely made their presence felt. But they’re not whipping out any benefit cards. They shop mostly in the organic foods isle and scour the circular for the weekly sales. They buy only what they need and guess what, very few that I’ve witness are overweight. Granted I’m generalizing and this of course doesn’t apply to everyone nor is it by any means a scientific study but I’m not imagining this am I?
The government has given our people a plastic ticking time bomb in which to kill ourselves. No its not the depression, or “The Man” holding you back its yourself and your benefits card. You go into the grocery store buy nothing but junk because YOU CAN, buy only top shelf brands because….hell, it aint my money and never pick up a circular to see what’s on sale because you don’t have to. So that reckless, careless attitude carries on to the dinner table, permeates through the family and is passed on to the next generation.
Why does it piss me off? Because I’m paying for it in taxes…paying to not only keep them fat or get fatter but also paying for the dumb ass “experts” the government hires to figure out why its happening when they could just stand in line with me at Foodtown and see.
Off my soap box!
FILED IN Editorials
Okay, Juan, how do you really feel?! LOL!
You know, I feel you 100%. I work in the DHS office. I help to coordinate substance abuse treatment for clients. I was a substance abuse counselor for 12 years (and I still run therapy groups in the evening) before landing this gig, so I never knew to what extent many people are using the system. It’s ridiculous! All any strong (fat-ass) 25 year old has to say is, “I smoke weed” and I have to take him out of employment activities, put him in outpatient chemical dependence treatment and he has a free ride until the treatment provider decides to discharge him (and why should they? he is a blank check—paid by taxpayers!). People do this crap for years! and they never have to work. I usually assess people who are on their second generation of treatment/welfare; some their third!
I have worked two jobs for years (seems like my entire adult life). When I go grocery shopping and whip out the debit card to pay for my groceries, it’s a dent in my pocket! I have kids too! but, damn! seeing young, sane, healthy people with two full carts and then whipping out the benefit card to pay for all their junk food…..that crap messes with me too!!!
Every time I see it. It always makes me feel some kind of way. I always have to leave something I NEED on the shelves.
.
Its a hustle for people. Like I said Food Stamps are a necessity, however there needs to be more regulation on how they’re used.
It’s a combination platter (Pun intended) of the system, greed, and ignorance. Plus the fact that junk food is half the price of regular food. My Girl used to work for W.I.C. (if u dont know what it is look it up) She used to come home and complain almost everyday about the fact that the mothers in the hood would always take the WIC checks and buy crap and then wonder why the baby was twice the size they should be. To add insult to injury every mother is granted a separate check just for fruits and veggies that they could buy from the state sponsored farmers market, 90% of the time those checks went unclaimed and she would take them and buy some of the juiciest tomatoes u ever had in your life, along w/a host of other cheap fruits and vegetables.
Exactly I NEVER see anyone buy fruits and vegetables with their benefit card. Honestly every time someone uses a benefit card they should required to say thank you to everyone in line.
CTFU, Thank you to everyone in line.
& they BET not be in express…
lol…welcome to the republican party.
Yeah that was real conservative right? Its not even the program in concept I have a problem with its how its regulated. Why aren’t some of the products prohibited from being purchased using the benefit card? Is there an educational piece showing these people how to eat and feed their children healthy?
.
Its like I’m getting screwed for you being stupid, fat and broke.
I heard that down south they can purchase cigarettes and liquor with food stamps.
Are you serious? That’s bananas.
Don’t hate on folks because you weigh 3 grams. That’s because you are edumacated.
But seriously, I think the problem lies in that- nutrition education. Folks don’t know about healthy substitutes (apples with a caramel glaze or macadamia nuts), so they fall prey to the bad choices in the junk food aisle. Plus, it’s all part of a bigger plan to keep folks sick and unable to lead successful careers. This is a great article, Juan.
Thanks Zack. I think your last point is key. It is a huge conspiracy. If they prohibit people from using their Benefit Card to buy crap, the junk food companies suffer which ultimately hurts the market, economy. We as Americans just consume too much. Maybe they should mandate you have a gym membership with your card.
Bring back the CCC. It will drop the pounds and serve the community at the same time.
not to mention you have to pay for you own food as well, and that’s money that can go towards bills…bills that the benefit card holders probably don’t have…smh…I agree 100%
Perhaps changing the Food Stamp program so that it resembles the WIC program would help a great deal. It’s my understanding WIC tells you exactly what you can purchase with the vouchers they give. If they did the same with Food Stamps people wouldn’t walk out with Little Debbie Snacks and other fat happy foods.
The government has tried to encourage people on food stamps to eat healthy by allow the use of the EBT card at farmer’s markets. They even provide nutrition class to encourage people to include fresh fruits and veggies in their diet. The key word in my statement is ENCOURAGE! The government can not force people receiving public assistance to eat properly. Once you impose restrictions/ limitations on folks they will cry discrimination. That is why they are not limited to only purchasing generic brand food.
Discrimination? They restrict people from buying hot food. If they can’t restrict they can REQUIRE. Require that X amount of dollars out of their monthly alotment be used for healthy classified foods. Oh and git rid of the roll over. That’s why cookouts in the summer are so popular. Black folks stay racking up on hamburgers, ribs, hot dogs etc on Food Stamps stashes.
It’s a tough philosophical question. I believe that people will only help themselves if they are forced to, so as long the assistance is there, and they can abuse it without penalty, they indeed will… – but I don’t think you can just let people starve, either. I guess I would say that food stamp availability is a positive thing. I do believe that people that aren’t disabled should be working if at all possible.. stop sitting on the couch… every pizza joint and fast food place out my way (Philly) is hiring and they always need people…
First let me be honest. I could not read through all of the comments because I was just so upset by the story and the first few comments. #1 Healthy food costs more and does not last as long. Foodstamps, unlike WIC which is a nutrition based program, have a monetary limit. WIC instead gives you a check with basic items and nutritional limits, not monetary limits. So fresh fruits and vegetables go bad quickly. Processed dinners however last in a freezer for a while. I am not going to even address the generational poor habits or the lack of education in the home or school on proper nutrition because I think the basic premise that BAD food lasts longer and is CHEAPER speaks for itself. YES poor people are heavier, they are stressed, have less money for the GOOD food, and are typically less educated. HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRICES AT WHOLE FOODS!?!
I appreciate your comments because as one who works in the system, I understand the issues and struggles of poor people. I really do. I have gone through many of them myself. With that said, I think that what we are venting about is different than what you are pointing out. Actually, healthy foods can be just as inexpensive if you know where and when to shop. What I believe Juan, and I, are talking about is the lazyness and the abuse of otherwise healthy and sane people who live off the system and misuse the resources that are supposed to be helping them. It may take more work to go to the farmers market, or actually cook a meal, rather than put a box in a microwave. But, if a person already is obese and has the health issues that come with that, isn’t it in THEIR best interest to eat healthier? Doctors tell them; plenty of people talking about it on T.V. It’s a matter of personal choice. And if that is what people choose, fine. That is their business. I don’t want to help finance it with my tax dollars! So then, it seems like the agency that is distributing the resources should give guidelines on how it can be used. For everyone’s good!
I don’t think they are different. It is a known FACT that eating healthier is more costly. And to call an entire group of any kind lazy, is flat out offensive. Juan in a funny, appropriate manner raised the issue of food stamps and nutrition. He did his job. It sad that you work with people that need assistance because you don’t attempt to understand the condition of poverty from a theoretical perspective, an empirical research stand, from a qualitative perspective, or flat out from a human approach. Many people get burned out, maybe thats what happened. Stop the anecdotal assessment of people that live in poverty. OBESE does not equal overeating. It does not even equal poor nutrition which often occurs. EVERYONE PLEASE STOP JUDGING AND TRY UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES IN THEIR ENTIRETY!!!!!
Whatever! you are judging now. And rationalizing for an entire group. Maybe you should try to analyze what you are saying. But, unlike you, I’m not taking it personal. Peace!
more people are becoming obese these days because of too much junk food and too much sugar in snacks and fast foods. -
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