Of all the side effects the recession has had on Americans - higher prices, more layoffs, an unemployment rate around 10% as of November 2009 - perhaps obesity is one of the ones we least expected. But it's true: the recession is making people fat - and avoiding recession weight gain takes effort.
Why the Recession Makes People Fat
There are three basic reasons why the recession has bellies bulging even as the wallets are getting slimmer:
- People who are stressed out are more likely to reach for comfort food. And nothing stresses an adult of working age like job loss or job insecurity, fears about losing one's home and worries about the future.
- The ranks of the unemployed have swelled - and it has long been recognized that those who have the least to spend on food are often the most obese. Junk food is cheap, plentiful and already made (or quick to microwave); whereas the price of quality ingredients such as fruits and vegetables has risen dramatically.
- Those who are still employed may have to work more or longer hours in order to make up for pay cuts or company layoffs - so they reach for cheap, high-fat fast foods and snack foods to tide them over during long workdays. Or they pick up unhealthy fast food for the family meal. And they are probably exercising less because they are working longer hours or have taken on a second job.
Any one of these conditions can be enough to sabotage healthy eating habits. But having nutritious home-cooked meals is easier - and cheaper - than it may seem.
Avoiding Recession Weight Gain
The key to keeping the pounds off during times of stress is to plan ahead and have healthy, home-cooked meals and non-processed foods as snacks.
Instead of ordering out pizza or picking up burgers on the way home from work, perhaps it's time to relearn the art of making food from scratch. A home-cooked family meal can be as simple as:
- Whole-wheat wrap sandwiches filled with tuna salad or sauteed peppers, mushrooms and onions with melted cheese, paired with a side salad.
- A pasta salad with canned beans or chickpeas, chopped red onions or scallions, black olives and other veggies, dressed with a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt, herbs of choice and lemon juice.
- A fast and easy vegetable soup made with frozen soup vegetables, cubed potatoes, tomato sauce, canned beans and maybe some elbow macaroni. Pair with a warm baguette or some garlic toast made with bread from the freezer, and there's a satisfying meal! (This soup can also be thrown together in the slow cooker or Crock-Pot in the morning and cooked on low all day for an easy meal that's ready the moment the family arrives home.)
Avoiding pre-made, overly processed convenience foods can help the family food budget go further, and so can making sure food is stored properly and used promptly. See Food Storage Safety Tips and Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget for more info and ideas for eating a healthy diet in tough economic times!
Natalie Cooper - Natalie Cooper is a freelance writer and mother of three small children, which has given her experience with not only parenting, but ...
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