A bad economy may actually be good for your health.
“It turns out there's actually now quite a long line of research showing that when economic times are bad people are actually physically healthier,” said Christopher Ruhm, a professor at the University of Virginia who wrote the 50-page report, “Health Effects of Economic Crises.”
Contrary to popular belief, the study found that when people are stressed about their personal finances and job situations they avoid vices such as drinking and smoking. “People try to take control of the parts of their life that they can,” said Ruhm.
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Other studies have shown that unemployment can lead to unhealthy eating habits, but Ruhm's research found that healthy activities such as exercise and social interactions increase during tough economic times.
A sense of community is one possible reason for the uptick. “I think one of the things that may go on is when we're in a real crisis … we pull together more so there's more actual social support,” said Ruhm.
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