It seems the recession may be good for your health. A new paper by Stephen Bezruchka in the Canadian Medical Association Journal confirms that economic recessions in the 20th century actually led to declines in mortality. The author points to factors like increased leisure time and healthier lifestyle and eating habits. [%comments]
Feeling Better Lately?
and 
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Finally, bankers have done something for the common good.
I imagine decreased alcohol consumption would help some. As would more home cooking (at the expense of restaurants and fast food).
As Socrates said; “…the
true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention.”
Lower mortality does not mean higher happiness:
it could mean people are afraid to die because they’ll leave their families screwed
it could mean fewer people can afford to go in for health care so doctors can prioritize sicker patients, thus lowering mortality
I guess I have a hard time believing recessions are good for health, but that may just be personal experience
Could this decrease in mortality be due to the reduced number of people on the roads, commuting to and from work? Seeing as the bulk of deaths between 20 and 40 years of age are from accidents, it may be a large part of the cause. In fact, aren’t younger people more likely to be unemployed during a recession?
Increased LEISURE time?
Not for those of us who are now working 2 jobs to make up for decreased pay.
Or those who switching to stay-at-home mommyhood or daddyhood because they lost their jobs and can’t payb for childcare.
Certainly, an increase in home-cooked (thus healthier) meals may be part of it, but the increase in stress cannot be healthy for anyone.
Socrates thinks too much.
For those of us striving in this recession…
…Necessity is a mutha’!
Haha, remember people this is Canada we are talking about… life is totally different in a faster paced country such as the United States.
Personally, I would think the mortality rate would INCREASE due to the loss of income that would’ve provided food, shelter and medical attention for many families. I would like to know what was the economic status of the people who were tested… I’m assuming the wealthy.
Gary, there have been papers written about a correlation between economic recessions and expansions and traffic fatalities. The theory is two-fold: total vehicle miles traveled drops, and people drive more conservatively in recessions. Unfortunately, I can’t find a link to cite for you right now.
If I may be so bold as to propose a homework assignment for Messrs. Dubner and Levitt, maybe they could find something?