The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Northwestern Now
Experiencing food insecurity in early childhood is associated with worse heart health two decades later, especially higher Body Mass Index (BMI). But participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may significantly mitigate that risk, reports a long-term Northwestern Medicine study in JAMA Cardiology.
The findings add new urgency to debates over funding for SNAP, as lawmakers consider potential cuts to the largest federal nutrition assistance program, which serves 41 million U.S. residents.
“SNAP may be one of our most powerful tools to protect food-insecure children’s long-term heart health,” said first author Emily Lam, a third-year medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We believe our findings reinforce the role of SNAP to support the health of millions of children nationwide, especially in light of recent funding threats.”
Source: Northwestern Now
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/05/snap-shields-kids-from-future-heart-problems-long-term-study-finds