Cheap Gas Makes You Fat
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 09.18.07
A recent study by Charles Courtemanche of Washington University in St. Louis looks at the relationship of gas prices and obesity. He found that in the years where gas prices were stable or declining in real dollars (graph right) the obesity rate climbed constantly. He concludes:
$1 in real gasoline prices would reduce obesity in the U.S. by 15% after five years, and that 13% of the rise in obesity between 1979 and 2004 can be attributed to falling real gas prices during this period. I also provide evidence that the effect occurs both by increasing exercise and by lowering the frequency with which people eat at restaurants.He calls his study, appropriately: A Silver Lining? The Connection Between Gasoline Prices and Obesity via ::Paul Kedrosky
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and the rest of the story included other scientists who essentially said that the weight of evidence out there proved this guy wrong!
Your post is kinda misleading...
Please...
And people that chew gum are more likely to be attacked by a beaver.
Chewing gum causes beaver attacks? How odd. Could you theorize as to a few rational reasons why this might be the case?
Because I can think of a number of ways gas prices and obesity levels may be connected to some extent. Gas prices tend to directly affect budgets -- people can't drive less to get to work, so they take the loss in this area and tighten down in other areas like eating out. Or perhaps those who have trouble affording the gas will walk more, like down to the corner store, thus getting more exercise. Which is pretty much what it says above. Seems reasonable, at least possible.
It must be the tree sap in the gum. That makes the beavers attack, I mean.
Obesity has been rising rapidly in the UK and we have some of the highest fuel costs in the world.
What's the obesity problem like in Venezuela?
If it's cheap to drive your car, you're gonna drive it more.
where did chewing gum and beavers come from? Weare talking about gas prices and i have to disagree with this. If the gas prices are cheaper it will actually help our community weather your wealthy or poor that you can still own a car. lI disagree that cheaper gas makes you fat, there is no facts that show that.
haha good one bartzel
Dude...why did you not post my comment?
A NPR story followed up with other more established experts (i.e., not a grad student with a thesis), who all essentially said that they highly doubted the results of this study...
You're presenting it as fact. That's no good!
There are so many holes in this theory it is hardly worth commenting on.
The contention of this studdy is just as silly as the Beaver-gum theory. If loosing weight was that easy then I would be a coat hanger skinny guy. I walk more than most people and I am far from skinny.
I just stumbled upon this but I would like to point out that it's not finances that make ppl fat (most of the time)...
it's a person's inability to control what and how much they eat. And unfortunately, those that don't have that control are usually the ones that don't have enough discipline to go join a gym and use it.
Less concentrating on placing blame on someone else. It's not fast food company's fault many ppl suck at self-control. It's as easy as putting it down...imagine it as a fresh dog dookie and you're pretty much done with that.