Why Do Our Tax Dollars Support Unhealthy Food?

U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for the growing of processed foods (through agricultural subsidies for the raw materials of processed food—namely wheat, corn, and soy), and for providing the poor quality processed food and soda to the poor (through our food stamps program). Yet the federal government has repeatedly denied cities and states the right to enact basic policy reform measures, despite evidence to show that incentivizing healthy food and disincentivizing unhealthy food has been proven effective. And it is not just bureaucrats who have opposed policy change. Many anti-hunger groups and national food banks, like the Food Research Action Center, or FRAC, have used their political influence to resist efforts to ban sugary drinks from the food stamp program, or SNAP. In this mini-epissode, Dr. Hyman examines three government agencies that are promoting unhealthy foods and how a change in food policy could shift our health and the health of our communities and planet. Learn more in Dr. Hyman's new book, Food Fix. foodfixbook.com