Food stamp use linked to weight gain.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

The Food Stamp Program may help contribute to obesity among its users, according to a nationwide study by the University of Michigan, Dearborn, that followed participants for 14 years.

Researchers found that the average user of food stamps had a Body Mass Index (BMI) 1.15 points higher than nonusers. The link between food stamps and higher weight was based almost entirely on women users, who averaged BMIs 1.24 points higher than those not in the program, the study found. For an average woman, this would mean an increase of 5.8 pounds.

The study also found that people's BMI went up faster when they were on food stamps than when they were not, and rose more the longer they were in the program.

"We cannot prove that the Food Stamp Program causes weight gain, but this study suggests a strong linkage," asserts Patricia Smith, professor of economics. "While food stamps may help fight hunger, they may have the unintended consequence of encouraging weight gain among women."

Based on these findings, the Food Stamp Program may have a significant impact on the U.S.'s obesity rate.

In 2008, about 28,000,000 people, or almost one in 11 residents...