Do additional SNAP benefits matter for child weight?: Evidence from the 2009 benefit increase

We know that youth who live in low-income households tend to have lower nutritional health outcomes-including higher rates of obesity-when compared to their higher-income counterparts. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest U.S. federal nutrition program and has been found to improve food security and to serve as an income support. It is less clear how SNAP may affect obesity in low-income youth. From a policy perspective, it is essential to understand how the largest federal nutrition assistance program influences the health of children and adolescents. We use the exogenous increase in SNAP benefits that was a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to identify how a change in benefits is linked with obesity in youth. We find evidence that the ARRA increase in SNAP benefits is associated with healthier weight outcomes in three of the four age groups examined. SNAP-eligible toddlers are less likely to be overweight and adolescents are less likely to be obese. These findings can help policy makers understand how additional SNAP benefits from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act may influence weight outcomes in children and adolescents.