Food and Nutrition Programs

Abstract

The U.S. government operates a wide variety of food and nutrition programs (FANPs), which reach an estimated one out of every five Americans every day. Most FANPs were developed with the primary goal of assuring adequate nutrient intakes in populations deemed to be at risk of under-nutrition. However, the nature of nutritional risk has changed from a situation in which significant numbers of Americans suffered food shortages to one in which obesity is prevalent. This observation raises the question of whether supplying food is the most effective way to address the nutritional needs of FANP recipients? A secondary goal of many FANPs is to improve the nutritional choices of recipients, through nutrition education. This goal has received increasing attention in recent years, in response to the finding that many FANP recipients consumed diets sufficient in calories but of poor quality. A third goal of federal FANPs is to provide a uniform, minimum, nation-wide threshold below which assistance cannot fall. This safety-net role of FANPs is likely to become increasingly important in this era of welfare reform as states cut back on cash assistance. The vast majority of the research on FANPs focuses on the three largest programs: The Food Stamp Program (FSP), The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program. Accordingly, this chapter focuses on evidence regarding the way that these three programs have met the goals of federal FANPs. Janet Currie NBER and Dept. of Economics, UCLA 405 Hilgard Ave. Los Angeles CA 90095-1477 currie@simba.sscnet.ucla.edu