Uncertainty and self-care - a message from Gloria

In my world at GardenShare, there are lots of things to worry about...  Fundraising did not meet our goals in 2016.  Where's the money going to come from in 2017?  Some of our new national political leadership have expressed clear desire to slash programs that help poor people, including those GardenShare works with.  The list could go on...

With all of this (and more!) uncertainty, it's more important than ever that we take care of ourselves.

And so, I will be doing just that.  Headed out on a ten-day vacation tomorrow to sunny Arizona.  I expect to get in some horseback riding, some hiking, and lots of general relaxation.

All of those challenges will be here when I get back, but hopefully my refreshed perspective and attitude will let me tackle them with renewed vigor!

Gloria


PS - Here's a photo of me riding Apache on an Arizona vacation three years ago in February!

HIGHER SNAP BENEFITS COULD REDUCE ER VISITS

A University of Missouri study has found that an increase in SNAP benefits can reduce emergency room visits for hypoglycemia. The researchers compared data from the Missouri SNAP and Medicaid programs to determine the benefit of SNAP and the timing of ER claims by analyzing the link between receipt of SNAP benefits and healthcare utilization. The results showed a strong link between the size of SNAP benefits and the number of ER visits for hypoglycemia, and that an increase of $100 in SNAP benefits decreased the likelihood of ER visits by 13%.

Source: UPI, 2/1/17, SNAP Lowers ER Use

WILL MORE PEOPLE GO HUNGRY IF ACA IS REPEALED?

In 2014, Oregon became the first state to implement a provision of the Affordable Care Act allowing doctors and hospitals to screen patients for food insecurity and connect them to SNAP enrollment, meal delivery services, vegetable prescription programs, and cooking classes, and other sources to help them obtain healthy food Today, 270 clinics  use such a screening tool throughout the state. Health care providers from Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oklahoma and other states asked for guidance on how to reproduce the Oregon program. However, as Congress endeavors to dismantle ACA, the funding and incentives for the healthcare screenings along with community-wide social services to address food insecurity are in jeopardy.

Source: Civil Eats, 1/31/17, Obamacare Repeal

SNAP PARTICIPANTS HAVE HIGHER DEATH RATES

An analysis of health data from almost half-a-million U.S. adults over a decade finds substantially higher death rates among people participating in SNAP. Adjusting for age and sex, participants in SNAP had around twice the mortality rate of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and three times higher diabetes mortality, compared to people not eligible for SNAP. The researchers, from Tufts University, noted that the study did not examine cause-and-effect and whether SNAP participation itself increases the risk of mortality. They believe it demonstrates that SNAP participants are dying at higher rates and strong efforts are needed to improve their health, emphasizing that it is plausible that if these individuals did not participate in SNAP they might have even worse health outcomes.

Source: MedicalXpress, 1/19/17, SNAP Death Rates

SNAP SPENDING WILL CONTINUE TO FALL

Spending on SNAP will continue to fall as the economy recovers and the number of SNAP participants falls, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently reported in updated spending projections. CBO’s estimate of SNAP spending over the next 10 years, based on the SNAP rules now in place, is about 7% lower than its forecast from a year ago, mainly due to lower food prices. And, as the overall economy grows,  SNAP’s share of the gross domestic product will drop under 0.3%, down from a high of 0.5% in 2015.

Source: Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, 1/27/17, SNAP Spending to Drop

SNAP’S CLIFF EFFECT

Many low-income parents find that getting a job or a wage hike can trigger a reduction in or termination of their safety net benefits, resulting in a net loss of income. This problem is known as the “cliff effect,” and it poses a problem for SNAP participants. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston recently analyzed data from 21,781 low-income families with children under age four.  Of the total sample, 10% of the families had their SNAP benefits lowered, and 14% lost some of their benefits. While these numbers show that SNAP eligibility criteria soften the cliff effect, the effects on the affected children were significant. Compared to young children whose families consistently received SNAP, young children in households that lost their SNAP benefits were:

• 16% more likely to be in fair or poor health,
• 77% more likely to be at risk of developmental delays,
• 78% more likely to be child food insecure, and
• 68% more likely to have had to forgo needed health care because the family could not afford it.

And, young children in households whose SNAP benefit had been reduced were also more likely to be at risk for negative health and nutrition impacts when compared to young children whose families consistently received SNAP.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 1/17/17, SNAP Cliff

BOOSTING SNAP BENEFIT WILL IMPROVE EATING HABITS

In response to the recent controversy over whether SNAP funds should be used to buy sugary drinks, one commentator suggests that raising SNAP benefits would promote healthier eating.  Low-income people, he argues, particularly people of color and those living in rural areas, lack access to healthy food options. Research on food availability finds that low-income communities tended to have fewer supermarkets and fewer “healthy, high quality foods in nearby stores.” Even when a lack of transportation options isn’t limiting their ability to locate better food sources, low-income people may struggle to afford healthier items. An analysis of the relationship between SNAP benefits and both food spending and food-related activities shows that a $30 boost to SNAP benefits could increase vegetable consumption by about 1.5%, increase the time spent on food shopping and preparation by 2.5 and 3.5%, respectively, and decrease fast food consumption by about 2.5%.

Source: Washington Post, 1/26/17,  Boost SNAP, Eat Better