Adding on Extra Pounds? Blame the Economy
Reported August 11, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — We’ve heard it on the news and seen it in our bank accounts. America is in an economic crisis. But some researchers say the nation’s financial situation is also connected to our waistlines.
Researchers at the University of Mainz, Germany studied 9,000 participants’ financial and health situations. Twenty-five percent of the 949 participants in debt were found to be obese. In the remaining 8,318 participants who had their finances under control, only 11 percent were considered obese. “The recent credit crunch will have health implications for private households,” Eva Munster, head of the study, was quoted as saying. “We’ve shown that debt can be associated with the probability of being overweight or obese.”
Researchers explain the trend by the high cost of healthy food and a tendency for people worried by debt to overeat. Often times a person’s finances limits their ability to choose which foods they eat. Sweets and fatty snacks packed with energy are a cheaper option than lower energy density foods like fruits and vegetables. Debt can also limit one’s leisure time and participation in social events.
SOURCE: BMC Public Health, 2009