Got Money Troubles? More Debt Means More Weight-Gain
There are lots of symptoms of being broke, such as bouncing checks, shopping at the dollar store, and using bed sheets as window curtains.
Add obesity to that list. A new study claims money troubles and weight-gain are closely related.
If paying off all your debt seems impossible, you are twice as likely to be overweight, and two and half times more likely to be obese.
Published in the journal BMC Public Health, experts found nowadays people in debt are younger and less educated, and are at higher risk of being depressed, overweight, or obese. Among people in Germany, 11% of the general population were obese, but 25% of broke people were obese.
Researchers list two possible explanations for the debt-obesity link. People in debt eat to cope with the stress, and if money is tight you're probably going to pass on pricey fruits and vegetables to buy junk food.
I blog for a living. So, I worry about money all the time, and coping sometimes means snacking.
How does pinching pennies affect your health?
Via Reuters.
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Sure money stress can lead to binge-carbing, but it doesn't have to.
ReplyI have a slightly different theory on this. My theory is that many people that exercise the discipline to eat properly and exercise also maintain discipline in other areas of their lives (ie, managing their money). If you think about it, spending money and eating food are both similar activities...spend too much or eat too much and you get yourself in trouble, but it's usually really easy to do both of those things. Following a budget is pretty similar to following a healthy lifestyle...sure, it limits what you spend, but you don't have to deprive yourself entirely. It seems to me that most people that are pretty thrifty with money don't tend to waste their money on junky food, eating out a lot, getting fast food, etc. and those foods are generally the ones that'll make you fat.
My husband is the ultimate cheapskate and I firmly believe that is exactly why he isn't obese. Left to his own devices, he goes to the grocery store with his list and buys only what is on the list and doesn't buy snacks or anything like that. If he craves junk, he doesn't go out of his way to buy it...he just figures he'll live without it.
Bottom line: Being good with money and being good with your diet/exercise plans pretty much goes hand in hand.
ReplyI do think people that have money probs may tend to overeat due to stress. Maybe they are working long hours at jobs that pay little too. OR, younger people grew up in a "right now" world & they also learned to live beyond their means so now is a reality check.
As for me, I am very disciplined with my food & exercise yet we still have money probs. Sometimes things happen out of our control & other times it is just what the economy is doing so I think it is a complex question that may vary from person to person or situation to situation.
ReplyLack of self discipline is the common factor.
ReplyBen, do you mean that people who struggle to control their eating will also struggle to control their spending and anything else in their lives? Self discipline is the key, interesting point!
ReplyDoh!
ReplyI think there is something to the theory that if you have poor self-control when it comes to spending, you may also have poor self-control when it comes to moderating your food intake.
In some cases, it could also be a matter of where your attention is focussed. Paying my rent and meeting my financial obligations is not a problem for me, so I am not focussed on that. This means I have the time and energy to focus on purchasing and preparing healthy food, and to exercise. I think when people are in crisis mode and are facing homelessness, they are less likely to worry about food, as long as they're getting some.
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