Higher gas prices could cut obesity rates

I've been saying for years that increased reliance on auto travel is a big reason why obesity rates have soared. It seems a study has proven me right. On the flip side, a $1 rise in gas prices could cut obesity rates by 15% in the next five years. I'll also grant that autos obviously aren't the sole reason people have gotten fatter. Lots of other factors are at work here, but anything which has the potential to reduce obesity rates is a good thing. If nothing else, down the road the health care system will save huge amounts of money. To quote from the article:

"Higher gasoline prices can reduce obesity by leading people to walk or cycle instead of drive and eat leaner at home instead of rich food at restaurants."

I know you like to stay in shape from PM's we've had but I always get suspicious of the source of 'studies' as many are paid off for a reason - not sure on this one. I'd hope the PTB don't get any good reasons to raise gas prices - so shhhh - don't tell anyone On the flip side I think there are people that are stuck sitting at home doing next to nothing because they can't afford to go anywhere. It has at this time somewhat worked out that way for us as we used to go to a lot of nice hiking spots but can hardly afford to get to them anymore. We fortunatley have good hiking in the BLM lands just a 10 minute walk from our front door but after hundreds of hikes there it gets a bit old unless you do it just for the exercise (which we still do).
There's really nothing much cheaper than sitting and watching TV or surfing the Internet and I suspect that higher gas prices can push people to stay home more too. It depends on where you are though. If you are in a big city where stores and services are within walking distance it may get some people to walk or peddle but in more suburban and rural areas it's just likely to keep people at home IMO.
I would hope people would just get out and exercise more on their own for fun rather than being forced to walk to buy groceries and such.

I stay rail thin because it's less weight for my car to move, saving me on gas :laughing:.

Honestly, it wouldn't work for me that way. Matrixshaman is right, if I can't afford gas to drive to have fun, I'm going to sit in my chair, fire up a game, and get a tan from my LCD monitor.

This doesn't help me much.

Interesting. I'd have to see the study itself and the other factors to judge. For me personally a dollar increase in gas cost wouldn't change anything. It's only a matter of time before this idea can be tested though; it's not like fuel prices are going down.

:buddies:

I've found that many people don't handle gas prices rationally. Say you have a paid off 2000 15mpg SUV with liability only insurance. 1200 gal at 18K miles/yr

You go buy new Honda fit that gets 30mpg in regular use in response to rising gas prices and you finance the new vehicle. With financing, you're required to have full coverage


In 5 years, you'll lose:

$9,024 in depreciation
$1,200 in interest if you do 8% @ $5,000 financed for 3 yrs
$xxx in required full coverage for the duration of financed ownership.

you'll save $9,000 in gas @ 18,000 mile / year @ $3/gal over 5 yrs.

You'll lose the extra space offered by SUV and the less you drive, the less you save. You hardly break even going from something that gets lousy mileage to a economy sub-compact with excellent mileage.

For most people, I can't see changing a car to get better mileage is going to help them with $$$/mile over the duration of ownership. Fuel has high perceived cost of ownership, but that doesn't mean actual cost is high.

Taking the public transit regularly in concurrent with vehicle ownership for any reason other than convenience (i.e. bus stop conveniently in front of your apt and your work) is a waste. If you drive less, you're simply going to increase the per mile cost of ownership of your car. Even if you don't drive it at all, you can't zero the fixed cost unless it's a junker with next to no value and you cancel the insurance and let the registration expire.

Bus passes are quite spendy, but they're economical alternative to a car if you don't own a car, but if you do, your car will still lose value even with no use, you'll still pay insurance, registration, and opportunity cost of spaced occupied by your car.

I drive around 10,000 miles a year and I get 28 mpg on the average. If the gas price goes up a dollar, my cost of ownership increases $360 a year. Not a big deal.

Points taken guys. I'm not saying everyone will drive less, or be more active. Merely that on average enough will be to decrease obesity 15%, at least according to the study (which I would love to read myself). Incidentally, Handlobraesing's analysis kind of actually makes the same point as the article. Most people will not buy a more economical vehicle in response to rising gas prices. They may buy one when the time comes that they need a new vehicle anyway, but not before. Anyway, that means that their cost savings from driving their current, less economical vehicle fewer miles will be more. My guess is people will combine trips more, walk/bike if it's only a few miles or less, and definitely do fewer "optional" trips. Long term we may alter our lifestyle so that we simply use autos less. We probably should do this anyway regardless of gas prices just for the sake of health. Indeed, there's an increasing movement to take bikes/pedestrians into account more when designing/rebuilding streets. We just got another bike lane on one of our local streets. Now I've been riding that road for years, but the bike lane at least gives cyclists their official space where cars are not supposed to intrude.

matrixshaman said:

I would hope people would just get out and exercise more on their own for fun rather than being forced to walk to buy groceries and such

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Unfortunately, the only way most people get exercise is when it's incidental to running errands. We may both like to exercise just for the fun of it, but I'm willing to bet that physical activity was ingrained in you from the time you were a kid. I know for me it was. Not because of my parents. My dad was actually very sedentary, and my mom only moderately active. However, for me spending all day on my bike in the summers was normal. As I got older I started walking long distances. I still do, and now I'm getting back into cycling a lot again. It also helps that I live in the city where walking is part and parcel to running daily errands. Even on days I don't purposely set out to exercise, I get some anyway.

I think I might be in a little better shape if remote controls were outlawed...

not gonna work.... gas is over $8 per gallon here, and i still weigh 120kg

Samuel said:

I think I might be in a little better shape if remote controls were outlawed...

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No, but if fast food restaurants quit drive-thru's and located the parking lot remotely, then a firmware upgrade on the cash register to show the total calories along with the total order amount...

Handlobraesing said:

No, but if fast food restaurants quit drive-thru's and located the parking lot remotely, then a firmware upgrade on the cash register to show the total calories along with the total order amount...

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lol speaking of fast food drive thrus, if they all closed at 9pm, I KNOW I would lose some weight...

I'd like to think it's true because gas is more likely to go up over time than down.
Unfortunately it would probably take taxes on sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and cooking fats to really make a difference. Unhealthy foods are usually cheaper and more convenient.

It doesn't take much gasoline for my coworkers to sit at their desks eating chips and doughnuts while complaining that the government won't give us free health care.

If there's ever a change severe enough to make us all lose weight, I predict that we will not appreciate it and will spend all of our time wishing for the good old days....

If they continue to use corn based alcohol as an additive to gas, the prices for the corn based food chain will increase. So that will effect food prices and consumers will buy less food. McDonalds will lower prices making fast food pocket friendly and this will then shift other fast food places to do same...more obesity.

Either way...I don't see anything shifting the growing obesity in the states. I think it will increase regardless.

I doubt it really could cut obesity rates.. it may force those who can walk to walk but this will paralyze those who cannot walk or use other modes of transportation, and it is those individuals [inclusive of physically disabled] that will suffer

I'd find it more reasonable to believe this might bring about an increase in owning horse buggies and ox carts....but not cutting obesity:ironic:


you can....in fact run the car on pure moonshine [no water additives +/- 190proof] it just wont be too good on mileage

Higher gas prices could cut obesity rates....or it could just keep people at home more watching tv and drinking beer.

Goodness, now I feel guilty for driving to the library and back. But I'm riding my bike later......

I agree that this is a very complex issue, and because of human nature, when the dust settles, I think the result will be something no one quite expected.

One thing the article doesn't take into account are the coming developments in biofuels, EVs, etc. These all look likely to become commonplace as gas prices rise, probably ultimately replacing gasoline entirely within a generation. I say short term the premise of the article may hold true, but long term any change in driving habits will depend upon other factors. I think health care costs/longevity may ultimately be the issue which gets people to avoid mechanized transport more, not gas prices. I read that the current generation of children may be the first to have shorter average lifespans than their parents on account of the obesity issue. They'll also have a much poorer quality of life during that shorter lifespan. That may well give impetus for us to build developments which encourage walking/biking. Let's not forget that in areas where people can walk, many do. Health isn't the only reason why. In many cases saving money is the bigger driving force. I'll walk a few miles just to avoid paying a subway or bus fare, for example. The exercise is just a bonus.

LEDAdd1ct said:

I agree that this is a very complex issue, and because of human nature, when the dust settles, I think the result will be something no one quite expected.

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Along with the increase in the decrease of oil reserves, this reminds me of MadMax

MayCooper said:

not gonna work.... gas is over $8 per gallon here, and i still weigh 120kg

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You got that right. If gas goes to 20. bucks a gal. I will still drive my cars
:twothumbs