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?
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“it could mean people are afraid to die because they’ll leave their families screwed” – Mia
Being afraid to die helps us live longer? So only the pious die young?
Death can smell fear…and it doesn’t like it!
(so it leaves you alone)
“it could mean fewer people can afford to go in for health care so doctors can prioritize sicker patients, thus lowering mortality”
In most western European countries loss of your job in a recession does not mean loss of health care (i.e most people are not serfs – totally dependent on their employers for their families survival). One would think this would lead to less stress in a recession. I wonder if this shows in the stats…
Of course there were times in history when there was a shortage of serfs and they had a lot of power to move between feudal lords which is equivalent to high employment I guess.
That’s an interesting theory. Less stress in the good times in the US. Less stress in the bad times in Europe. Perhaps a migratory lifestyle is called for…