• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HealthyHappyLife.com logo

  • about
  • RECIPES
  • LIFESTYLE
  • BLOGGING
  • VIDEO
  • SHOP
  • Cookbooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • My Books
  • Videos
  • About
  • holiday
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » This and That » The Economic Value of Health: Eat Healthy, Save Money

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Jun 17, 2020 · published: Mar 5, 2009 · About 3 minutes to read this article. 1 Comment

    The Economic Value of Health: Eat Healthy, Save Money

    moneyIf I hear one more person give the excuse that “it’s too expensive to eat healthy.” I’m going to scream. OK, not really. But I want to take a minute to vent about the economic value of health.

    The media
    has it a bit backwards on in their reporting of the association between your budget and your diet. Headlines proclaim: “More and more Americans are turning to fast food to save money in these hard economic times!”

    exercise eggplant….well it’s true that eating at McDonald’s may save you a few bucks at the end of the day, but what about those long term health and economic outcomes? Fast food can become a habit, prevent you from losing weight, lead you to gain weight and in turn – lose health.

    The real facts?
    If you eat healthy, exercise, watch your stress levels and in turn maintain a healthy weight, you can actually save money long term.

    Click ahead for the top five financial costs associated with American obesity….


    FACT: The obese are more susceptible to an array of health problems, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

    FACT: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health came out with a study published in the July issue of Obesity, that concluded that unless our eating habits or exercise habits change, 86 percent of the American population will be overweight or obese by 2030.

    Here are the top five costs associated with obesity,
    as reported in Newsweek Magazine:

    1. Lower wages:
    Stanford University researchers found that obese men and women earn, on average, $3.41 per hour less than their peers. That means $7,093 in lost income per year. Employers tend to pay obese workers less when they’re footing the bill for their insurance..

    2. Fewer work hours:
    On average, obese workers tend to lose a week of work a year due to ailments related to their weight, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

    3. Higher medical costs:
    Overweight males incur medical costs that are $170 more annually than their leaner co-workers, while overweight females incur costs $495 higher than their counterparts, Finkelstein and Zuckerman write.

    4. Extra air travel costs:
    Budget airlines such as Southwest require obese people or people who may take up more than one seat to buy an adequate number of seats on the flight.

    5. More gasoline:
    More weight burns more gasoline in cars. A 2006 study published in the journal The Engineering Economist found that Americans pumped 938 million more gallons of fuel a year than they did in 1960 because of their heftier frames.

    Last Word from Kathy:
    Veggies and grains are cheaper than most animal/meat products. Soy milk can be cheaper than dairy milk. And eating less, can mean less food to buy. Junk food extras like chips, bakery goods, cookies and soda are usually more expensive than staple healthy items like apples, peanut butter and whole grain bread.

    Read the associated article online at Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/id/153309

    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Hot Cold Water Therapy: At-Home Wellness Tip
    • Essex Market, NYC: A Produce Lovers Dream. Under $20.
    • Dita Von Teese: PETA’s Fur Contradiction
    • Mango Nutrition Facts: Super Fruit, Tropical Delight!

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

    Vegan Linzer Cookies

    5 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Pie

    Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

    Vegan Oatmeal Cookies, Lunchbox-Ready

    Primary Sidebar

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    newsletter:

    Trending

    my cookbooks

    my cookbooks

    Disqus Latest Comments

    1. s

      s: Absolutely one of the best things I've ever baked. Used dairy butter…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    2. JanetS

      JanetS: Neither of those non-grain flours will substitute for oats or wheat. As…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    3. disqus_LfP7ofaP87

      disqus_LfP7ofaP87: Earth Balance brand HAS PALM OIL, as do most of the vegan…

      Commented on: Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

    about kathy

    kathy patalsky

    featured: peach coconut water smoothie

    browse recipes

    Breakfast  |  Entrees  |  Desserts  |  Smoothies  |  Sandwiches  |  Salads  |  Beverages  |  Soups |  Appetizers |  Snacks  |  Sauces  |  Sides   /  Cooking Videos  |  Round-Ups  |  Fan Favorites  |  Holiday  /  All the Recipes

    browse:

    • reviews
    • travel
    • vegan topics
    • people
    • videos
    • beauty
    • wellness
    • Mom Life

    my ttc + baby journey

    Footer

    BROWSE BY:

    Category:

    DATE:

    looking for something?

    contact   |   about   |   kathy’s cookbooks  |  press  |  findingvegan  |  meal plans  |  shop  |  vegan recipe index  |  privacy policy  | start a blog

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services | Work with me