Does Debt Contribute to Obesity?

A new study suggests that serious financial debt may be associated with obesity.

To investigate the potential relationship between debt and health, researchers surveyed 949 people in Germany who were classified as “over-indebted,” because they reportedly felt it was impossible to pay off debts in a reasonable timeframe. The findings were compared to the results of a 2003 telephone survey, which included 8,318 people in Germany who were not in debt.

After adjusting for socioeconomic and health risk factors for obesity, such as gender, education, smoking and depression, the authors found that people who were over-indebted were almost twice as likely to be overweight and more than 2.5 times as likely to be obese than those who were not in debt. 

However, this study does not prove that debt causes obesity. Instead, it shows a potential association between the two conditions. The authors suggest that psychological factors may play a role in obesity if people eat to cope with the stress of financial debt. They also note that healthier foods may be more expensive. The authors also speculate that obese people may have more difficulty finding jobs or may make less money than thinner people. Therefore, additional research is warranted in this area.

In the United States, obesity is considered an epidemic. More than half of all Americans are considered overweight, and about 20 percent of children are overweight. In 2005, 140 million Americans were considered overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association. Nearly 33 percent of Americans are considered obese, and these numbers continue to grow.

Obesity can have serious long-term effects on health. Individuals who are overweight have an increased risk of developing many life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. According to the American Heart Association, obesity was associated with nearly 112,000 deaths in 2005.

For more information about obesity, please visit Natural Standard’s Medical Conditions database.

Comments

[Robert]

Socioeconomic status definitely does contribute to obesity. Healthy foods, such as organic fruits, vegetables and meat, are much more expensive than the non-organics. Fast food is generally unhealthy considering that it contains, trans fat, unhealthy oil, cholesterol, sodium and processed meats. However, fast food is dirt cheap. People who are on a budget will usually get McDonald's or other unhealthy fast-food items to support themselves. Foods that are healthy are usually three times more expensive and are out of reach for the poor.

Stress is also a contributing factor to weight gain, as it increases cortisol levels, which has a negative effect on weight control. Stress may also lead to sleep disorders, and past studies have shown a correlation between sleep deprivation and weight gain.

[gb]

I wonder if the people surveyed who exhibited obesity and depression were on antidepressants because a major side effect of many antidepressants is weight gain.

[Tasha T.]

Fascinating study and entirely plausible. Thank you, Natural Standard, for reporting on this. Glad the study was done in Germany and with such a large sample size. Given the financial crisis in the U.S. and the lack of saving and overwhelming credit burden that many Americans have taken on, it is not surprising that this link between finances and body weight may exist.

It is worrisome that in Europe, where it is generally easier to lead an active lifestyle given the ease of train transport and the walkability of many cities and towns, there is this problem of obesity. It makes me think that the problems are even more severe in the U.S., where our car-centric lifestyle makes it even harder to be active and more likely for us to be overweight. I hope future research will focus on the built environment aspect and how it contributes to obesity too.

[Marty B]

Debt and obesity -- who would have thought? I mean come on now; the fast food-chains have been targeting the lower socioeconomic classes for some time now. Dollar Menus! Who do you think they are trying to reach? I completely agree with the author that there are probably many more aspects that need to be investigated, but when it comes down to it; organic foods are expensive, and chemicals keep things cheap! I hope someday someone comes up with a cost-friendly answer to healthy foods, for our children’s sakes!

[jk]

I am not surprised at all that people who are in over their heads financially may be more likely to be obese, as this study concluded. Many people use food to pacify themselves. In other words, they eat away their emotions, similarly to the alcoholic or the drug addict that numbs their feelings by excessive drinking or drug abuse.

[JL]

I'm also not surprised by this study. Unhealthy food is so much cheaper -- just look at all of the dollar menus at fast-food restaurants. Also, fast-food is quick. If you're struggling to support your family and working multiple jobs, it's much easier and quicker to get fast-food then make a home-cooked meal.

I wonder if education also plays a role? People with lower-paying jobs are less likely to have advanced college degrees, and maybe they know less about nutrition and healthy diets?

[Missy]

I think this study is on to something. Being a broke college student myself, I know that the dollar menus are always appealing, although not healthy, and the "freshman 15" is a real concept. The author brought up a good point about needing further studies. Depression, stress and worrying can all have detrimental effects on the body and might also be contributing to the obesity. It will be interesting to keep an eye on Natural Standard’s articles to see if any new info comes up relating to the correlation between debt and obesity.

[Lo]

Being a college student, I can definitely attest to this article. Not having enough money definitely contributes to obesity and poor diet because eating healthy is hard and can be expensive. For example, one can easily spend $30 on just a few items at places like Whole Foods. Buying a meal for $5 seems like an easy resolution when living on a budget.

[bob]

I do agree that debt can contribute to obesity, but I don’t think that is the primary reason. There are so many other reasons to obesity than not being able to afford healthy foods. Let’s face it, the lack of motivation to eat a well-balanced diet and regularly exercise is just as big of a contributor to obesity (for most people in our society) as debt.

[Jimmy]

Most would say that eating unhealthily is cheaper than eating healthily, but I think people’s choice of food has more to do with the planning before mealtime. Fast food is quick and easy and readily available for people to eat on the run while taking care of errands. However, an apple and granola bar are just as efficient as a large fry or soft taco for snack options — and an individual apple usually costs under a dollar! If people took more time to pick out coupons and scan the fliers for sales before grocery shopping, they could save a lot of money. Also, making an effort to eat at scheduled times can help curb hunger and avoid the “starving” sensation that makes people crave fast food FAST. I think a person’s income level has much less of an effect on obesity status than this study makes it sound.

[Mitchell]

It’s understandable that the stress of debt leads people to overeat and buy cheap junk food. I wonder if there are any additional studies that specifically compared the trends of obesity numbers and the fluctuations in the economy. The American Heart Association has data on yearly obesity numbers in the United States, but I wonder how long these numbers have been monitored for? It will be interesting to look back ten years from now and see if the obesity numbers spiked during the current economic downfall.

[Owen]

Much recent research has been geared into looking at the potential role that genetics plays in the development of obesity. Ethnicities have been known to differ in genotypes (i.e. Asians have a polymorphism of the acetylaldehyde dehydrogenase gene), and I wonder if the results taken from a German study are completely applicable to people from other origins.

[EH]

Again, I agree that debt can be one of the contributing factors to obesity. Other than choosing cheaper foods from fast-food restaurants (that are high-fat and high-sugar), these people tend to work overtime or even work a second job. Eventually, they become sleep deprived, which in turn, affects many biological processes, including thyroid function and levels of cortisol. Their irregular meal patterns play a role in disrupting their metabolism as well.

On the other hand, can’t wealth contribute to obesity as well? Not to mention about the multi-course meals, wealthy people hardly go anywhere by foot – either they have cars or drivers. And the only exercise they do is golf on most weekends. So it would be interesting to see a study investigating a person’s SES in relation to BMI/ % body fat.

[Raymond]

This is an interesting observation, seeing there's a pattern of indebtedness associated with obesity. After reading this post, I have a couple of questions about why the study did not include its own non-obesity group rather than using data from about six years ago. I wonder if the economy and food might have been a little bit different back then. Also, I thought genes or family history may also play a significant role in being overweight or obese. Should they have adjusted this factor as well?

[Phyllis]

Well, I guess it’s comforting to know that “Fat Americans” are not alone out there. Obesity and the economy are worldwide problems. I think the World Health Organization needs to start looking at obesity more carefully and analyze the potential effect it may have on the world’s economy if the new working class of the world is too fat to work. Anyone else see a viscous cycle starting? And, of course, people in debt are buying from the dollar menu. Have you ever tried to find a dollar menu at an organic diner? Trust me; it’s like looking for a unicorn!

[Faye]

In addition to people eating more and healthier food being more expensive, I think there's also a pattern of increase inactivity (less exercise and staying home more) with people who are in debt. They may not have the luxury of running at the park every morning or doing outdoor activities or paying for gym memberships.

However, I think that as long as people can eat more fruits and vegetables, less fat and carbs, as well as maintain regular exercise, they will be less likely to be overweight -- regardless of their living environment. Yet, people in debt, or those with lower socioeconomic statuses, tend to steer away from that healthy lifestyles when compared to people at the higher socioeconomic ladder.

[Michael]

EH does raise an interesting point. In the old times, the circumference of your waist was directly related to the amount of gold in your pouch. The wealthy ate, and as a result, they were bigger. It would be interesting to see a study like that, but it may be hard to find volunteers.

I wonder now if it has more to do with education than debt. Typically, you are well off because you were educated, built an empire for your-self (trust fund babies excluded), worked hard and are reaping the benefits. Maybe people in the lower economic classes are not as educated on issues like nutrition and the benefits of exercise. I know when I am trying to scrape and make a living for myself the last thing I want to do is sit down and read a wellness magazine.

[Peter]

I actually have a different perspective about wealth and obesity. Some may argue that wealthy people may be less active because they might not need to walk to work or do household chores.

But I would argue that they actually have sufficient resources to do whatever they want. They tend to be more educated and more health conscious. They can buy organic vegetables, golfing during the weekends in addition to going to expensive gyms and resorts during weekdays. So wealth does not necessarily contribute to obesity. Their lifestyle is more heterogeneous versus the people in the lower socioeconomic class.

Poorer people tend to not have time and money to do other things except going to work, come home exhausted at night, only to eat fast and inexpensive meals and rest before another hard-working day starts. I think their lifestyle is more easily generalizable than people who are wealthier.

[Carrie Bradshaw]

The article states: “the authors found that people who were over-indebted were almost twice as likely to be overweight and more than 2.5 times as likely to be obese than those who were not in debt.” Although they acknowledged that this study does not prove that debt causes obesity, it sounds like they made their conclusions about the association between obesity and debt without looking at the whole picture. It would be interesting to look at the opposite side of the money spectrum -- wealth -- and see if it is somehow associated with a higher degree of incidence of slimness.

Before jumping to conclusions about debt, obesity, and stress, more research needs to be done on the other wealthier side of the spectrum. Lots of money can still come with lots of stress (although I sure don’t know anything about it)!

[Miranda Hobbs]

More research needs to be done on this matter before any firm conclusions about the association between debt and obesity can be made. People’s weight and incomes fluctuate throughout their lifetimes, and it would be interesting to follow the relationship between these two features in a longitudinal manner as opposed to looking at it in one moment in time. Typically, people’s incomes rise as they get older and unfortunately, so does their weight. Therefore, the relationship between these two features needs to be researched further.

[Linda]

I read an interesting article about eating late at night and weight gain. Researchers gave two groups of mice the same amount of food, but one group ate really late at night. They found that the mice that ate a night gained more weight. They suggested that the circadian rhythm may play a role in how our bodies' metabolism. So maybe working the night shift can also increase obesity?

[JKim]

Interesting study, but now what? Do we give our obese patients some cash and watch their waistlines shrink? The data collected here is definitely unique and useful when interviewing and empathizing with our patients, but how do we turn this into a therapy? Debt isn’t an easy thing to solve, and I doubt that more exercise and less sugar will put money in anyone’s account. I guess that in addition to mental health professionals, social services and law enforcement, doctors will have to start referring people to financial advisers as well.

[CD]

I would have to agree with the author of this article because I do think that obesity would, in some way, be related to debt. People in debt are not going to spend as much money on good, healthy food. They may be even going to the local bargain store to buy foods. Unfortunately, many may also eat canned goods (ie:spam) due to the money issues that they may have.

I also think that it is worth looking at their mental status too. Debt can cause depression, which in turn, can cause overeating, thus leading to obesity. All of this just leads to a "wild goose chase" for the individual and makes it very hard to get over.

Depression will cause sleepiness; therefore, the person is now not willing to get up and exercise to try to help overcome this obesity. Again, one problem is snowballing into many more.

On another note, it is sad that this country operates so many "fast-food deals" (hamburgers at the local drive through window for just 99 cents). I can't help but wonder just what grade of meat that burger is being made with.

Additionally, since I brought up the idea of food, I also can't help but wonder just how good the food is at the local market. Chickens raised and fully grown in a very short amount of time, cows grazing on grass right next to a major highway???

It is sad that it seems that we cannot offer a healthy array of food to everyone, regardless of income. I, for one, would love to start growing my own fruits, veggies and maybe even have a few chickens so that I know just what they are eating when I gather their eggs. However, I am too afraid of all the pesticides that most certainly blow all over my yard, shrubs and grass from all of my "way-too-perfect-lawn" neighbors!

[TM]

I don’t agree with this association between obesity and debt when I look at China. They contribute their sudden increase in obesity to an increase in fast-food facilities. They also comment on the lack of walking and or biking due to automobiles. This makes me think that the culprit to obesity is what we’ve always known to be, a lack of exercise and good nutrition. The teachings must start at an early age. To combat childhood obesity, the schools need to incorporate activity into the curriculum more so than gym class. We also need to provide healthier meal options at a reasonable price.

I don’t deny a vicious cycle may develop between debt, depression and obesity. I just feel if we are taught from an early age about the necessity of good nutrition and health, we may be able to handle the stressors in life better like debt. There’s a strong correlation that exercise relieves stress and depression and builds confidence for a reason.

I would need to know more information on the people “in debt.” I would want to know if they are currently taking antidepressants and alcohol consumption. I would also like to know if these subjects of the survey live in the city or rural areas.

[Nina]

Beer. This dilema is all due to the carbohydrate-rich beer. During the time the study was conducted, the unemployment rate in 2003 was at 9.8% and was steadily increasing until 2006, where it peaked at 11.8%. The chance to find work with an increasing rate of unemployment did not set the stage for hope to find work and get out of debt and stay ‘slim.’ It did set the stage for higher tendencies of depression and higher beer intake. I think the study underestimates the German beer intake and it’s tragic impact on BMIs. The average household, debt or not, still prepares wholesome foods from scratch, which seems to be cheaper than fast food.

Being German, I am not impartial to this study and do want to emphasize the article’s mentioning of the average over-indebted participants who were younger, with lower socioeconomic status, higher tendencies of depression, overweight, obesity and daily tobacco use in comparison to the general population. The obese population in Germany is still very rare. The prepared meals in even low-socioeconomic classes can be outstanding, wholesome and inexpensive. A lot of Germans pride themselves for being great cooks and rightfully so. It just has to be the beer.