Indebtedness linked to obesity

People who are heavily in debt are more likely to be heavy themselves.

Low socioeconomic status is associated with various diseases. While income, education and occupational status are frequently used in definitions of socioeconomic status, over-indebtedness of private households is usually not considered. Also unknown is the impact of indebtedness on health, particularly on obesity.

To investigate how debt might affect health, researches surveyed 949 people who were receiving counseling for debt and insolvency at centers in two German states and compared them to 8,318 people who participated in a 2003 telephone health survey and were considered to represent a slice of the general population that was not indebted.

It was found that indebted individuals were younger, less educated, and less wealthy, and were also more likely to be depressed, overweight, or obese. Around 10 percent of the general population was obese, compared to 25 percent of the indebted group. The indebted individuals were also more likely to smoke every day.

It was concluded that being over-indebted was associated with almost two-fold greater likelihood of being overweight, and a three-fold greater risk of obesity.

The researchers credited the above findings to psychological factors that could contribute to the greater risk of being overweight or obese among indebted people, who may eat to cope with stress and depression. Also, it is likely that they cannot afford healthy foods as energy-dense food such as sweets or fatty snacks are often less expensive compared to food with lower energy density such as fruit or vegetables.

Even though the findings don't rule out the possibility that overweight or obese people are more likely to get into debt because they have a tougher time finding a job or make less money than slimmer people, the researchers advise that over-indebtedness should be considered when assessing health effects of socioeconomic status.