The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is holding public forums around the state to gather input from residents about the agency asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow SC to restrict the kinds of foods that can be bought with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, also known as food stamps. In an effort to curb obesity in the state, DHEC wants restrict food bought with public benefits to what it determines to be healthy choices.
Dr. Edward A. Frongillo, Jr., is a professor and chairman of the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia and an authority on the issue. On the current edition of Insight, Bhakti Larry Hough interviews him about the public health implications of using such a method to improve and protect public health.
A public forum on the issue will be held in Florence on March 28, 5:30 – 7:30 PM in the Bevis Conference Center at the Pee Dee Mental Health Center, 125 East Cheves Street. Citizens may also comment online using the link below.
http://www.scdhec.gov/SNAP/SNAP_public_comment.htm
Insight airs Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., 7 p.m., and midnight.
