Many states—from Idaho to Kansas to Texas—want to stop subsidizing soda through SNAP, the government’s largest nutrition assistance program. Their reasoning is that these products are poisoning Americans. We are scientists who have studied dietary habits and nutrition for almost two decades and we agree. The science is clear: drinking soda is not good for our health
There is no debate that these products harm children’s health in myriad ways, contributing to tooth decay, weight gain, and chronic diseases—many of which were rare among children just two decades ago. Clear evidence shows that sugary drinks are addictive, triggering behavioral and biological responses much like tobacco and alcohol do. Yet SNAP directs more than $10.5 billion each year to a soda industry that has systematically targeted poor families, flooded the marketplace with harmful products, and contributed to astounding rates of chronic diseases among U.S. children.