Mississippi Leads U.S. In Reliance On Food Stamps
The number of Americans who use food stamps is now close to 46 million, or 15 percent of the population. The government program that provides food stamps is formally known as SNAP, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And the number of people who depend on it to buy groceries has grown substantially, even since the recession was officially declared over, back in June of 2009.
The state of Mississippi has the highest percentage of its population — 24 percent — on food stamps of any state in the country. (It’s also the most obese state, with 7 of 10 adults in the state either overweight or obese.) That means the government is feeding one Mississippian in five right now.
There ins an interactive graphic at the end of the article:
SNAP, meanwhile, has also faced criticism about eligibility, illegal trading and fraud issues. But enrollment around the country continues to climb. For more on food stamp participation in other parts of the country, check out this handy interactive graphic by students at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.