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Recession Leading to Drop in Obesity Rates

Perhaps there is one good thing that has come out of the recent recession – weight loss.  Since the financial crisis of 2007, obesity rates in the US have, apparently, been slashed in half.  Most studies find that when people have less money to spend, they actually tend to gain weight as a result of purchasing cheaper, more high caloric meals.

Academics at the Arizona State University, however, have found the opposite. The study looked at the BMI rates of 350,000 adults across the United States.  As the researchers said, “In all but the poorest income group the annual increase in BMI decelerated substantially during the recession. There is little evidence that the economic downturn has exacerbated obesity by causing people to consume cheaper foods.”

In the UK, as in the US, obesity rates have been steadily rising for 20 years.  Approximately 25% of Britons are now classified as being overweight and the UK women are the fattest in Europe.