Does the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Contribute to Adult Obesity? Evidence from Regression Discontinuity

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides financial aid for low-income households to purchase food. The program was initially set to target the problem of underconsumption of food and nutrients when it was begun in the 1960s. However, the primary health problem facing the US population today is the overconsumption of food and obesity, especially among some low-income populations. Critics of the program suggest that the SNAP may unintentionally contribute to a higher rate of obesity among low-income individuals. Past literature has primarily focused on the eligible population in order to examine the treatment effect of participation. Yet we exploit discontinuities in eligibility to examine the impact of SNAP on obesity, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Our interested group are those who are just below or above the eligibility threshold. By using Regression Discontinuity (RD), I am able to clean identify the effect of SNAP on adult obesity.