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Ben Chrisinger

@bchrisinger.bsky.social

1.9K followers 1.3K following 460 posts

Assistant Professor in Community Health at Tufts, formerly faculty @ DSPI Oxford. I study place and health, especially food and welfare. #SNAPmatters https://facultyprofiles.tufts.edu/benjamin-chrisinger

facultyprofiles.tufts.edu

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Sep 10

#SNAP is already globally unusual as an antipoverty program. Cash-like, just for non-prepared foods, at approved retailers.

Evidence from cash transfer programs suggests there are easier ways to protect #foodsecurity.

🛟 🩺📊 🩺 #econsky #academicsky

Keeping SNAP in Line with Global Evidence on Food Security | NEJM

Proposals to introduce nutrition-based restrictions in SNAP ignore a global movement away from this kind of welfare program administration and toward systems that can more effectively improve health.

www.nejm.org

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 14d

Policy-based evidence-making

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 14d

“There is always an executive order” is the new “there is always a tweet.”
Feel free to never take anything these guys say about science seriously

=
The WHITE HOUSE
45 47
K PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
Restoring Gold Standard Science
Executive Orders
May 23, 2025

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 15d

What continues to shock me is the total abdication of responsibility by social media companies in this.

The grift would not be so profitable, the fear would not be so great, the lies so hard to shake, were it not for a handful of powerful companies.

The scale of it all is stunning.

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 15d

Reflecting on how sad it is that people will needlessly suffer from this new influencer/regulator/grifter health ecosystem.

Like, my family has lost friends to this: refusing Covid vaccines and cancer treatments based on bad advice about risks and cures.

And not “lost” socially. They died.

🛟 🩺

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 15d

Sliver of hope here… some good folks who have been opposing these kinds of projects for years are noticing that the playbook is the same, and stepping up

Piedmont Environmental Council is a good one in VA www.pecva.org/region/culpe...

Existing and Proposed Data Centers – A Web Map – The Piedmont Environmental Council

www.pecva.org

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 15d

It’s such an old playbook… corporations needing mines, power lines, waste facilities etc pitch $$$ solutions to local govts with dwindling resources (the easy way) OR threaten overwhelming via courts (the hard way).

A tough spot for local govt.

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 16d

(For even better insights on the food security measure, follow Parke! 👇)

Parke Wilde @parkewilde.bsky.social · 18d

The federal government is canceling the leading national survey of household food insecurity and hunger in the United States, @wsj.com reported today. The Dec 2025 survey will be canceled, while the Oct 2025 report based on Dec 2024 data will be released as usual. (1/4)

WSJ headline: Trump Administration Cancels Annual Hunger Survey

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 16d

As others have said, not collecting data about our problems does not make them disappear.

But it does make it more difficult to respond.

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 16d

The construct isn’t perfect, but food insecurity is a measurable and systematic snapshot of hunger in America. It's an indicator for other health risks. And it's an macroeconomic warning sign.

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 16d

Most students have seen the term somewhere, but few know what it really means.

So, we explore the survey instruments and their many adaptations.

We discuss how they capture different experiences: worrying about food, cutting back, and even going hungry.

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · 16d

Every time I teach "Beyond the Food Desert," we spend a whole week on food insecurity.

Why?

#academicsky 🥗 🛟

NPR @npr.org · 16d

The Department of Agriculture said it will end a longstanding annual food insecurity survey. Experts say the move will obscure the effects of recent changes that will lead to people losing food aid.

USDA cancels survey tracking how many Americans struggle to get enough food

The Department of Agriculture said it will end a longstanding annual food insecurity survey. Experts say the move will obscure the effects of recent changes that will lead to people losing food aid.

n.pr

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 30

Totally. The hidden hurdles of working with participants, unpacking the results, convincing peer reviewers, etc etc etc… it’s a decathlon not a race

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 25

Shareholders love a value 😔

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 24

As in the Food Is Medicine movement, I worry a bit about the DIY-ethos that “nutritionism” can bring… e.g., that everyone can cook themselves to good health.

Still, knowledge is power, and I appreciate the MDs in the piece who talk about building trust and understanding with patients.

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 24

Great piece from @sarah-todd.bsky.social in @statnews.com.

Nutrition has been a long-neglected, and practical part of medical education. Will be an important space to watch.

🛟 🥗 🩺

Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · Jul 24

Doctors are biased against higher-weight patients. Can nutrition education help them change? www.statnews.com/2025/07/24/r...

Doctors are biased against higher-weight patients. Can nutrition education help them change?

Nutrition education in medical schools can be a chance to emphasize the importance of talking about food without judgment.

www.statnews.com

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 23

Lots more time to watch ads tbh

darth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · Jul 23

"AI saves so much time so u can work more hours during the week"

Reposted by Ben Chrisinger

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · Jul 21

Just gonna go ahead and say, I find the SNAP score very surprising. We thought it would be about $10 billion smaller, not a little larger. And the work requirements part is unchanged when it MUST be smaller, and state share got higher EVEN in 2028 and 2029. Have reached out but find this surprising.

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Reposted by Ben Chrisinger

$fracposts.bsky.social$

Food Research & Action Center @fracposts.bsky.social · Jul 18

SNAP cuts don’t just mean less food for families. They mean fewer sales for grocers, fewer dollars for farmers, and fewer dollars in local economies. #SNAPmatters

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Reposted by Ben Chrisinger

Project Bread @projectbread.org · Jul 21

The impacts of SNAP cuts are far-reaching. Read our analysis to learn about the ripple effects of these harmful cuts: projectbread.org/news/in-an-a...

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 21

Like if anyone wants to talk about the MBTA I’m sure folks would be quite interested.

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 21

If you’ve ever driven or been in a car in Boston, you can appreciate how slow and inconvenient it is.

But to pin that on bike lanes? Wild.

(Agree this survey ? is a poor indicator but still suggests something about issue framing for the race)

Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · Jul 21

The poll has a question on bike lanes, but it is written so poorly it is basically meaningless. Like, we don't know if these are drivers, pedestrians, or equestrians. But it's being reported as "50% of people say bike lanes don't make it easier to get around."

. Of the following three statements, what impact have bike lanes had on your ability to get around
the city? (ROTATE 1 & 2)
(N=500) n %
Bike lanes have made it easier and safer to get
around ---------------------------------------------------------- 90 18.00
Bike lanes have made it slower and less
convenient to get around----------------------------------251 50.20
Bike lanes have had no impact on my ability to get
around ---------------------------------------------------------148 29.60
Undecided ----------------------------------------------------------- 9 1.80
Refused--------------------------------------------------------------- 2 0.40

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 21

Hard to imagine a greater challenge to healthy eating than poverty.

And we are making the depth of that poverty even worse with safety net cuts.

@kffhealthnews.org 🥗 🛟

Cuts to food benefits stand in the way of RFK Jr.’s goals for a healthier national diet | CNN

The Trump administration has said improving American nutrition is a priority, but deep cuts to federal food assistance could lead people to forgo healthy food in favor of cheaper alternatives.

www.cnn.com

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 16

The evergreen policy question: “who’s making money”

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 16

Curious how many AI-assisted bot accounts are just humming along online getting prepped for their Real Work in the midterms

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Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 16

“Wage deserts” come to mind, @wolf-powers.bsky.social

Ben Chrisinger @bchrisinger.bsky.social · Jul 15

Important new work on EITC and healthy food purchasing.

More evidence on how less complicated/restrictive safety net programs can be helpful for diet and health.

Gets us out of a “people are just doing poverty wrong” mentality and more toward addressing root causes.

#academicsky 🛟 🥗

NBER @nber.org · Jul 15

Using the Earned Income Tax Credit to study how an influx of cash affects food expenditure patterns of eligible households, from @emmajlag.bsky.social‬, Leslie McGranahan, and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach https://www.nber.org/papers/w34007

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