Losing Weight = Gaining Wealth?
Research carried out by the Ohio State University shows that wealth goes up as the waistline goes down.
For example, white women who dropped their body mass index score (BMI) – a standard measure of obesity – by 10 points saw a wealth increase of $11,880. White men saw an increase of $12,720 for a similar drop, while black women increased wealth by $4,480.
Quite frankly it's difficult to see how one could draw any correlation between the two sets of data. In China, for example, the very opposite is happening - affluent people are getting fatter.
The author of the Ohio research gives us this advice.
“If you really want to impact your wealth, you have to move from overweight or obese into the normal range,” he said. “You can't just drop 5 or 10 pounds and change your wealth.”
Written By J. Foster
I think what they're possibly trying to say (poorly, I might add) is that when weight is lost, you pay less for your clothes. If anyone happens to notice, they don't mention how the the wealth is gained. But if all you're doing is losing weight (and not for cash), then they're not spending as much on their clothes as they ordinarily would. It's a common fact that overweight (especially extremely overweight) people usually end up shopping at specialty stores where they have no choice but to spend more money in order to cloth themselves. Once you get back into a regular store, then the amount your spending goes down.
Just a guess...obviously I could be waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy wrong.
ReplyPerhaps the bigger issue is the cost of healthcare. Healthy people log less hours at the doctor's office. I still remember that $1500 bill for the ultrasound on my lipoma (fatty tumor), ordered by my doctor "just to be safe". Since I've lost weight, I don't get lipomas anymore. And I don't have to run to the doctor for an office visit when those pesky lumps show up myteriously.
Also, there is a food cost. Vegetable and chicken plates are generally cheaper than a steak. And fewer appetizers and desserts go directly to the wallet. Lots of alcohol consumption can also be expensive and will contribute to obesity.
Finally, exercise is a cheap pastime. Brown bagging it so you can go jogging on your lunch hour doesn't cost anything, but going to a sit down restaurant with your coworkers adds up quick. Even a $50/month gym membership is cheap compared to eating out for lunch every day. (I've done both)
I can see a connection based on the whole lifestyle between the two extremes. Just guessing though, I don't really know either.
Regards,
Ben
ReplyI read a similar study recently, and I believe what they are talking about is the tendency for employers to pay attractive -- hence, thin -- employees more than they do others.
People tend to look down on those who are overweight as lazy, sloppy, unable to control themselves....it goes on and on. While this consideration might be patently false for most overweight people, employers might let this cloud their judgment during performance reviews, or when hiring someone for that higher-paying job.
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