Report: Wealthy People Exercise, Poor People Take Shortcuts

Tim Schmidt By Tim Schmidt0 Comments3 min read450 views

I read this report and couldn’t help but to think of myself.  Just under three years ago, I was lugging around 30 more pounds on my 5’9″ frame.  At the time, I would have done anything to lose the weight.  I met a girl, she was a health nut, and I felt like a slob.  I started working out, and now it’s once again a way of life.

This report that I refer to is something that hit home.  It stated that “poor people – and poor women in particular – are more likely to be overweight and obese.”

The less fortunate in the area of bank accounts are said to use strategies like using diet pills instead of going for the All American way to do it – sweating. 

The article, for those interested, is here.

The study looked at the profiles of over 3,000 children and teens ages 8 to 19 and another group of adults (5,000 of them) over 20.

With over 66% of the people admitting to reducing food consumption or exercising in an effort to lose weight, the adults gained 3 pounds on average while the children’s weight went up by roughly 12 pounds.  The interesting caveat here is that the lower the income bracket, the more weight gain was reported.

When looking at income levels, the people (adults) earning $75,000 or higher exercised 50% more, drank 42% more water, and ate 25% less fat and sweets. The lower incomes were also the ones choosing to use over the counter diet pills.

What I can take away from this story is that when you have more income, you can afford to buy better food.  I, for one, shop at Whole Foods whenever possible. I eat clean when I can, and stay far away from fast food.  I try to eat whole food only, nothing processed.  Fast food is not only very obtainable, but it’s very affordable to the lower classes.  I hate to stereotype, but when is the last time you saw a Ferrari at McDonald’s?  (I personally love McDonald’s, but had to cut it out.  Maybe twice per year I’ll dive in.)

It’s no secret that eating healthy is expensive when compared to junk food.  However, water, no matter what you drink (view alkaline comparisons here) can be sourced from any tap in any home.  Water is very key to a proper diet as it helps our system run efficiently and eliminate toxins.

I just don’t get the diet pills though, is it possible that lower income people try to cut corners?  I don’t know. I’ve been poor, and I’ve been wealthy, but when it comes to health I know it’s either I’m in the zone, or I’m not.

Last year I went vegan, and it was cheap.  #justsayin.

Why Do Lower Income Folks Eat Poor?

Maybe it’s the stress levels. I’ve been there, trust me.  It’s hard to stick with any diet or routine if you aren’t sure where your next paycheck is coming from or what will happen if a major appliance goes out and you don’t have money to fix it.

Instead, it might be that the stressful lives of poor people make sticking to a diet and exercise plan more difficult. It’s hard to exercise when you live in an unsafe neighborhood. Stress leads to emotional eating. You can’t plan for gym time when you only know your work schedule three days in advance.

I just think it can be chalked up to being erratic with decisions, having less structure, and less discipline.  When I look back at my tough times, I struggled in all of those categories.

What do you all think?

 

 

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