The Recession - Is it bad for Health?

The Recession - Is It Bad For Your Health?
Mar 18, 2009 | By: Christie Wilcox excerpted from www.Nutritionwonderland.com
Recession Woe #1: Stress
The human stress response is designed to be temporary, to give us an extra boost of energy, strength and speed when in immediate danger. When human beings are stressed, we release a barrage of hormones that tinker with our bodies’ nervous systems. But when the ’situation’ doesn’t resolve soon enough, these compounds and their effects can be devastating. Under stress, humans release adrenalin and cortisol, which speed up our heart rates, slow digestion, alter blood flow, and generally manipulate our autonomic nervous system (the one which controls our unconscious bodily actions like digestion).
In times of chronic stress, the constant high levels of these hormones wreaks havoc on our bodies. These hormones deplete our essential vitamins, affect our sleep patterns, immune function, cognitive function and just about everything else in our bodies. Stress can lead to increased susceptibility to or occurrence of infections, muscle pains, low fertility, weight gain, acne, asthma, and even sexual dysfunction. And what begins as headaches and weakened immune systems can lead to a whole host of disorders from depression to diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. It’s been estimated that over 90% of doctor’s visits are actually for stress-related symptoms.
Recession Woe #2: Fitness
As the economy collapses, the dollar just isn’t worth what it used to be, and everyone is essentially making less money, even if you haven’t lost your job. It has been shown time and time again that weight is related to income level. Recent studies have found that for every 10% increase in poverty there will be a 6% increase in obesity.2 For one reason or another, the less money you have, the higher the probability that you’re overweight or obese. While some of the reasons for weight gain with income loss are nutrition related, some is due to lower levels of exercise and activity.
A Gym – find your way there! For starters, go out of your way to beat your excuses. Too little free time? Get up a little earlier. Getting the blood pumping in the AM will wake you up and make you feel more alive and ready for your day. Too tired? That’s because you’re not exercising! Researchers from California State University, Long Beach, found that just 10 minutes of brisk walking can give you up to two hours of increased energy. Get friends and family involved - make excuses to play sports together or go for walks in your neighborhood.
Recession Woe #3: Diet
When Which?, a non-profit consumer watchdog, asked UK residents about their dietary habits, almost 1/4 of them said that the economic crisis had made healthy eating a lower priority.3 Over half said they would eat healthier if they could afford it. So our monetary woes have translated to poor food choices which in turn is having a negative impact on our health. Other studies have shown that lower income level is related to poor nutrition, presumably because the sugary, unhealthy foods are appetizing and cheaper than their healthy alternatives.
A UK cabinet office report estimated the monetary effect of illnesses caused by poor food choices was at least £6 billion every year, which more than twice the amount attributed automobile accidents and three times the amount attributed to smoking, and may be as high as £18 billion.4 So we lose money, which makes us eat poorly, and thus we cost ourselves more money in doctor and hospital bills: its a self-fulfilling cycle. To drive the point home, the report says that simply consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables per day could prevent 42,000 premature deaths a year (reducing salt intake could save another 20,200 lives, and cutting saturated fat, other 3,500). Skimping on nutrition isn’t a great way to cut spending - it’s a great way to cost yourself much more, in quality of life and in healthcare costs.
Key to Keeping Healthy Without Breaking the Bank - Make Good Choices
Overall, the key to staying healthy in a poor economy is to make good choices. After all, you know already you shouldn’t skimp on nutrition and exercise - our kids learn that in grade school. But maybe you’ve let the economic crisis get to you. Or maybe you just needed some ideas of how to beat the blues. Either way, take some time to evaluate your life and see if the economy is affecting your health. Your health doesn’t have to fall just because the stock prices do. Remember, just keep yourself active, eat right, and find ways to have fun. The best thing you can do for yourself in these times is treat your mind and body right.
1. Unemployment and Health. Dorling, D. BMJ 338, b829, 2009.
2. Household instability, area poverty and obesity in urban mothers and their children. Chambers EC, Duarte CS, Yang FM. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 20(1), 2009.
3. Which? Heathy Eating For All Campaign.
4. Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century. A Strategy Unit Report, United Kingdom Cabinet Office, 2008.

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