Is the Financial Crisis Causing You to Gain Weight?

If you’re worried about your financial wellness, you may also be putting other aspects of your wellbeing at stake. This is according to new research from Weight Watchers, which found that money worries are making us overweight because we are comfort eating when money is tight.

According to the study, 75% of Brits are ignoring a balanced diet in favour of unhealthy treats that lift their spirits. This means that, as a direct consequence of their financial situation, 18.3m Brits have experienced weight gain. However, it’s not just a growing appetite for comfort food that’s swept the nation, but the results of the study also revealed that, contrary to what Jessie J might sing, it’s all about the price tag. These unhealthy foods are as cheap as, well, chips, which is prompting people to indulge. When it comes to food purchases, the research showed that eight out of ten cash-strapped Brits priorities cheap over healthy options.

This research follows another recent study from the Mental Health Foundation, which demonstrated that more than half of British adults find their life more stressful than they did five years ago. More than 25% of respondents cited money as a cause of this enhanced stress, and the mental health problems don’t stop there. You are ten times more likely to suffer from depression now than people in 1945, which is clearly demonstrated by the fact that anti-depressant use is on the rise.

However, research by the University College of London has suggested that comfort eating doesn’t actually help, but in fact eating a diet high in processed food can in fact increase your risk of depression. The study showed that people who eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually have a lower risk of depression. Zoe Hellman, Head of Public Health at Weight Watchers, adds, ‘It is alarming that such a high percentage of Brits are turning to comfort eating when money is tight as weight gain soon becomes another issue to add to their anxiety levels.  Eating cheap, calorie laden food can lead to much bigger problems in the long term, such as the serious health risks associated with being overweight or obese.’

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