“Yesterday 17 mayors from across the country and I sent a letter to Congress to outline the importance of maintaining funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and propose allowing states to test limiting sugary drink eligibility in the program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should be just that – a nutrition resource for those in need. Sugary drinks have zero nutritional value and disproportionately contribute to obesity, actually harming the health of food stamp participants. Today, the American Medical Association took a leading role and, for the first time, endorsed our position that removing sugar-sweetened beverages from the food stamp program will encourage healthier beverage choices. I hope our leaders in Congress and the USDA consider the medical community’s serious health concerns about the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity.”