Health and wealth have always gone hand in hand. In a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Dhaval M. Dave of Bentley University and Inas Rashad Kelly of Queens College, City University of New York, use information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1990-2007) to explore the relationship between the risk of unemployment and the consumption of various healthy and unhealthy foods.
“A higher risk of unemployment is associated with reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables and increased consumption of ‘unhealthy’ foods such as snacks and fast food,” they write. They suggest that reduced income and depression might lead to poor dietary habits.
“Among individuals predicted to be at highest risk of being unemployed, a one percentage point increase in the resident state’s unemployment rate is associated with a 2-8% reduction in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The impact is somewhat higher among married individuals and older adults,” said an abstract of the study.
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