Embrace the Recession

Americans may reduce the amount they spend on food in response to a sour economy but some experts fear they may pick up weight in the process.

The spectre of "recession pounds" is a concern weighing on health professionals, who point to numerous studies linking obesity and unhealthy eating habits to low incomes.

They fear that as people cut food spending they will cut back on healthy but relatively expensive items such as fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, in favour of cheaper options high in sugar and saturated fats. Link

Obesity these days is often a sign of poverty in Western societies. I was watching a news item the other day showing a lady complaining that she had to miss a meal in order to feed her kids and she was morbidly obese. Many so-called poverty stricken people these days could easily have gotten jobs in circuses as grossly fat sideshow freaks during the depression era.

That fact that so many of the poor are obese is quite interesting. It means that you should be able to live on very little. High caloric food such as bread and sugar can soon make you fat at very little cost yet what if you ate these foods but in moderation? You should be able to live at very little expense. I currently spend a lot on high quality foods such as nuts, meat, wine, chocolate and very expensive fruit yet if I lived on a little rice, eggs, bread, seasonal vegetables and canned beans I reckon I could live on about three dollars a day. It should be possible to get all the nutrients you need by buying produce in season and taking advantage of supermarket specials and most importantly eating in moderation. You could buy pigs heads which I saw for two dollars each the other day as well as old laying hens that can be used to make hearty soups. Big batches could be made and frozen for later use.

Couple this with doing more exercise such as walking and cycling to get places and you should get through the recession in better physical shape than you would have in more prosperous times.