Can Higher Gas Prices Help You Lose Weight?
July 3rd, 2008 · Filed Under: Abs Exercise
I’ve been seeing some articles on the internet recently that higher gas prices may help you lose weight.
The speculation is that as gas prices keep climbing, we’ll be driving less and less and walking or biking more and more to help save money.
“An additional $1 in real gasoline prices would reduce obesity in the U.S. by 15 percent after three years,” said Charles Courtemanche, an economics researcher at Washington University in St. Louis.
“In fact, about 13 percent of the rise in obesity between 1979 and 2004 can be attributed to falling real gas prices during the period.”
As the gas prices rise, more people will also be taking public transportation, leading to more necessary walking to and from the public transit stops.
There is also speculation that people will eat out less in restaurants with these high gas prices, since the cost of driving to the restaurants is increased.
This would lead to preparing more healthy, homemade meals at home.
And people might eat out less to help save money for the rising gas prices.
What do you think?
Can higher gas prices help you lose weight?
I would love for you to comment and get a great discussion going.
Have an amazing day.
Scott
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July 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
I just started biking in to work last week, mostly because I told myself I’d do it eventually and eventually was taking a very long time. However, the added bonus of offsetting the cost of gas is certainly one that I appreciate, and I can see how it would get people to use their vehicles less. I guess that’s one good thing about high gas prices. That said, I’d like to see prices with a “2″ in front of them again.
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:20 am
Here’s the link to an original article I wrote on this topic a while back:
http://www.letspickupthepace.com/article.asp?ID=42
How much more true is this information today?!
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I am skeptical that higher gas prices will cause a decline in obesity. Higher gas prices will also indirectly affect the cost of food prices (since shipping and transport costs will also increase). With an increase in food prices, naturally the shift will be to finding cheaper food and nutritious food always costs more — junk food will still probably be cheaper.
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
it is a big questionable, but let’s hope that there will be more fit people in the US and that many will be lot stronger and sexier. I hate the fact that we are fat and ugly now. we need lot of pretty and sexy faces, right???
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Scott makes a great point here… although everyone complains about higher gas prices, there are actually some benefits that we’re already seeing…
Mass transportation use has been increasing in most major cities. Also, rates of car pooling are increasing too as coworkers drive together to save money. Both of these are helpful not only in burning less gas, but also in helping reduce traffic congestion. Also don’t overlook the stress that traffic congestion puts on many people on a daily basis and how stress can be related to obesity as well… Hmmm.
I’ve also been noticing a lot more people biking lately. It seems everywhere I look now people are biking more and more. Also, higher gas prices are going to continue to force change to alternative technologies and force more efficient technologies to take hold. This is something that simply has to happen for all of our futures.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
If you want to know if it works, keep watching the people and obesity levels in the UK. Our gas is now up to nearly 12 bucks a gallon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always walk my kids and dog to and from school, but it still amazes me how many parents don’t even though they have just a 10 - 15 minute walk, some even less than that.
The cost of food in the UK is on the increase as well, but our supermarkets are now trying to beat each other on prices and I’m pleased to say it’s not just convenience foods either, I managed to buy cucumbers for 50p each the last couple of weeks rather than the normal 90p - £1 cost. Who knows how long or much higher costs will rise, but hopefully we’ll all be slimmer and fitter as a result!
Take care xx
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I totally agree with you Scott! My husband wants to try to ride his bike to work. The drive is 26km one way. So if he decided to do this the total he will be riding 52km/day.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
One more thing, when I was commuting to work by train and bus I would do everything in my power to shorten this commute. I would also bike and roller blade instead of taking the bus most days. I did this as fast as I could (high intensity short burst kind of exercise) and lost 10lbs effortlessly. Even when I got pregnant I had trouble gaining weight.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Since I have never owned a car..and have walked just about everywhere I need to go for most of my adult life (I get rides every once in awhile) the price of gas for me has never really been an issue. The price of everything else bothers me, like fresh fruit and veggies..pretty soon only the wealthy will be able to pay the high prices.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
One thing I have found is a lot of intelligent but overweight people are still ignorant about what they put in their mouths foodwise.
One of my clients could tell me to the calorie what she consumed in a day because everything came out of a packet.
It could work… One of the effects on public transport here is a lot of commuters have to walk because the overfull buses pass right by them now!
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I totally agree. I’m living in Japan and the price of one litre is now 182 which adds up to well over $4 a gallon. I decided to start biking to my gym. The summer here gets to around 36 degrees and high humidity but, the 10km ride to my gym is a hell of a lot more interesting than a exercycle or treadmill. And, I don’T really need to warm up much anymore.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:42 am
I live in Australia and our petrol prices are getting up around $1.50 a litre, which is about 11/2 times your price in America. Most of us spend far too much time just sitting, so anything that causes us to walk or move more isn’t all bad.
Food prices have been rising here just about every week, for several years. Although it is expensive, I always choose fresh, natural food over processed. I just don’t enjoy junk food any more. I was never a big fan, anyway, but since I learned how much of an impact it has on health, I just don’t want it.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I personally don’t drive but all my ‘overweight’ friends do..some link here??..i have been working out harder past few months than i have for a long time and the efforts are showing..i am loving the admiring glances from all the beautiful girls..and it really makes me work harder,can’t wait for my holiday to spain in eight weeks..i’m going to be fighting them off..LOL..!
take it easy man..peace..
July 5th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Hello to all!! An interesting topic and here in Canada where I live the gas is 1.40/l-compared to other parts of the world we are quite low-if we decided to bike/walk instead of driving every aspect of our body would benefit except from the toxcitity we would breathe in. Our physical body would benefit by slimming down,our emotional part would be balanced,our mental part would be clear and functioning,our spiritual part would help us to reflect on nature and what nature has to offer-we might be kinder to others and happier people as a result so a big yes, to Scott’s question..The rising cost of gas would be a huge benefit to our overall health and wellbeing. Helen Cowan
July 8th, 2008 at 11:54 am
A few days late…but better late than never!
Increasing gasoline prices will increase, rather than decrease obesity.
While it is true that some people will use public transportation, walk or bicycle instead of their cars (and thereby get more exercise) and that people may choose to eat out less, let’s look at who in this country is most likely to be obese. The simple fact is the poorer you are, the more likely you are to be obese.
One cause of obesity is poor food choices and cost is definitely a factor. Mac n’ cheese costs less than grass-fed beef. A candy bar costs less than a piece of fresh fruit. Soft drinks cost less than fat free milk. Increased gasoline prices have already driven up food costs and will make good food choices more expensive.
Commuting to work probably accounts for most gasoline use in most households. In this country of suburbs, I expect that most people do not have the option of switching to walking, bicycling or even public transportation to get to work. Where the normal household will cut back on gasoline use is in discretionary trips — people will stay home rather than going somewhere. And at home they will be watching television — not a prescription for fitness.
Concerning eating out: I agree that families may cut back on their restaurant meals and this will impact mid-range restaurants the most. These are the restaurants where you can order grilled fish and steamed veggies off the menu. Instead, people may choose to go to McD’s, BK, KFC etc. where prices are lower and fat content is higher. Again, not a good outlook for improving obesity numbers.
Overall, increasing gasoline prices will also negatively impact the economy. People will lose their jobs. Poverty will increase and with it, obesity.
Anyway, that’s what I think….
Martha
July 15th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
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