Have you been piling on the pounds?
Financial worries are making us overweight because we are comfort eating when money is tight.
New research from Weight Watchers reveals that 75% of Brits are ignoring a balanced diet to gorge on unhealthy treats that lift their spirits.
As a result, 18.3m Brits have experienced weight gain as a direct result of their financial situation.
As well as this growing appetite for comfort food, the research reveals that it’s also the attractive price point of these unhealthy foods that is prompting people to indulge, with eight out of ten cash strapped Britsprioritising cheap over healthy options when it comes to food purchases.
This poses a major concern for the UK’s rising obesity crisis when BOGOF’s and supermarket deals are typically high calorie fat laden foods.
The news follows recent research from the Mental Health Foundation which revealed that over half of British adults find their life more stressful than they did five years ago and over a quarter said that money worries was the main cause of this. We’re also ten times more likely to suffer from depression now than in 1945 and the use of anti-depressants is on the rise .
But it seems that turning to the high calorie foods for stimulation is simply fuelling the issue, with research by the University College of London suggesting that eating a diet high in processed food can in fact increase the risk of depression . The study shows that people who eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually have a lower risk of depression.
Zoe Hellman, Head of Public Health, Weight Watchers, says: “It is alarming that such a high percentage of Brits are turning to comfort eating when money is tight as weight gain soon becomes another issue to add to their anxiety levels. Eating cheap, calorie laden food can lead to much bigger problems in the long term, such as the serious health risks associated with being overweight or obese”
And it’s not just financial concerns adding to modern day discontent, with last week’s news from The University of Chester claiming that those who see their friends in the flesh, are significantly happier than those who spend hours interacting with their friends on social media channels. Not ideal when UK single occupancy household are now commonplace and 29% of Brits claim they don’t have enough time to spend with friends and family.
Tagged in Diet Healthy eating Weight Watchers weight weight issues