South Carolina Wants to Ensure Folks Shop Healthy with SNAP funds

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South Carolina wants to take the lead among states in the battle against obesity by allowing only healthy foods to be purchased with SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.

Gov. Nikki Haley on Thursday, February 21 2013 joined leaders of three state agencies to announce plans to seek a waiver from the federal government to change the food stamp program. South Carolina has the eighth highest rate of obesity among states.

Various public stake holders and political leaders are meeting to discuss the best way to ensure SNAP benefits are not used to purchase junk like chips and soda. The waiver request will grow out of what state leaders hear in those meetings.

A public poll showed that more people support SNAP limits in South Carolina than are against them.

No state has been grained USDA approval to modify SNAP in the past, but health leaders in South Carolina hope that their bottom-up approach will make their attempt more successful.

In September 2013, the USDA asked South Carolina to weigh in on limits to SNAP, a development that some say is a positive sign that the USDA may grant South Carolina permission to go head with creating the limits.