A bad economy: Does a body good?

Recently, researchers have begun re-examining a very interesting question: just what effects do economic hardships do to health? With stock market insecurities, economic bailouts of loan giants, the housing market collapse, and the possibility of global recession, researchers have reason to re-evaluate previous studies.

“There would seem to be a decrease in personal wellness during bad economic times,” said Jennifer Spiegel, Assistant Director of fitness and wellness at University Recreation. “People are looking to save money and a gym membership is an extra expense that can be cut right away.”

According to the 1970s study, this would be true. However, this theory has been challenged by the scientific community.

In 2007, Dr. Grant Miller, an assistant professor of Medicine at Stanford wrote a paper stating that in good economic times people suffer more stress because of the work required of them. This leads to bad behaviors such as eating out more often and exercising less.

This is all on the macro scale, however, as some areas suffer more economic hardship than others.

“I have a rigid time schedule,” said Dave Bearss, a graduate student in the Department of Physical Therapy. “I commute from Midland. I wish I could just have a job here and just bike to work, but there doesn’t seem to be any decent jobs for me here.”

On a person-to-person basis, people seem to gravitate towards optimism.

“I work out five days a week,” Cassie Keller, a freshman, said. “I wouldn’t give up my gym membership, but that’s just because I’m a little obsessed.

For Central students not out in the work force completely, the effects are going to be considerably less.

“I think that the only the only thing that really affects me is the rise in tuition rates,” Ben Gudbrandson, a freshman. “They raised minimum wage, so I have enough to pay for everything I need to.”