June 04, 2003
The Bush Administration:
Objectively Pro-Health?
Coming soon to Fox News: "GOP Economic Policies Are Good for Your Body!"
Why Economic Downturns have Favorable Effects on Mortality
Healthy Living in Hard Times (NBER Working Paper No. 9468), author Christopher Ruhm examines how the "lifestyle behaviors" of smoking, weight gain, and exercise are affected by economic conditions.
Recent studies show that mortality decreases when the economy dampens, and Ruhm theorizes that lifestyle behaviors may account for the cyclical variations. In a 2000 study based on data from a 20-year period for all 50 states, he found that a 1 percent rise in unemployment reduced the total death rate by 0.5 percent.
Ruhm tests two possible scenarios, free time and falling incomes, as reasons why individuals might adopt healthier lifestyles when the economy weakens. His data predict that working one fewer hour per week causes a slight (.011 percentage point) reduction in smoking but larger declines in severe obesity, physical activity, and multiple health risks . . .
The author interprets these results as evidence that greater availability of non-work time may provide one reason for the healthier behaviors.
So it appears our parents were wrong: Hard work can kill you.
Posted by billmon at June 4, 2003 02:26 PM
Comments
I've been unemployed since Friday and I've already had 3 dates, a nice tan, proud stubble and my diet has gotten much less fat-intensive. It works great as long as I don't have to visit a hospital, dentist, crash my car or buy new clothes.
I just watched the 2003 Book Expo c-span thing with O'Reilly and Al Franken... hysterical. Sure, maybe Bill coulda taken Al, but Molly Ivins I'm sure coulda gotten Bill into a full-nelson. O'Reilly actually said that public programs don't really help people. Where would our economy be without unemployment benefits? I, for one, wouldn't be in a position where I can afford to look for a new job. How are you supposed to get another job if you can't afford nice clothes, a place to get cleaned up and transportation to get to an interview, much less a computer and internet to apply for it and write up a resume?
I wish someone would crawl up O'Reilly's ass and find out how much help he's gotten from the public sector... I'm sure it's substantial. All these "I did it 100% on my own" bullshit stories these conservatives spout are nothing more than the "I walked 30 miles shoeless in the snow to school everyday" crocks that Grandpa Simpson rambles on about.
If everyone in this country had to make every dime they spent, who would buy the crappy ass products that make these elitists rich?
Posted by: Stevie Butane at June 4, 2003 07:41 PM
I've been unemployed since Friday and I've already had 3 dates, a nice tan, proud stubble and my diet has gotten much less fat-intensive. It works great as long as I don't have to visit a hospital, dentist, crash my car or buy new clothes.
I just watched the 2003 Book Expo c-span thing with O'Reilly and Al Franken... hysterical. Sure, maybe Bill coulda taken Al, but Molly Ivins I'm sure coulda gotten Bill into a full-nelson. O'Reilly actually said that public programs don't really help people. Where would our economy be without unemployment benefits? I, for one, wouldn't be in a position where I can afford to look for a new job. How are you supposed to get another job if you can't afford nice clothes, a place to get cleaned up and transportation to get to an interview, much less a computer and internet to apply for it and write up a resume?
I wish someone would crawl up O'Reilly's ass and find out how much help he's gotten from the public sector... I'm sure it's substantial. All these "I did it 100% on my own" bullshit stories these conservatives spout are nothing more than the "I walked 30 miles shoeless in the snow to school everyday" crocks that Grandpa Simpson rambles on about.
If everyone in this country had to make every dime they spent, who would buy the crappy ass products that make these elitists rich?