Recession Blues are Bad for Your Health

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the current economic downturn and fears about financial status are resulting in Americans skipping appointments with their doctors, foregoing gym memberships, buying fewer and cheaper medicines, and putting off preventive care and screenings. In addition, people are drowning their sorrows in unhealthy eating and drinking habits. Nearly 90% of the family doctors surveyed by the AAFP said that patients are concerned about being able to pay their bills, and the majority of respondents said that their patients are now exhibiting more symptoms of stress than they did before the recession hit.

Another medical group, the American Heart Association, also released survey results from 1,000 people showing that 57% of respondents said the economy had impacted their ability to pay attention to their health. According to the AHA survey, nearly half of the respondents were buying fewer fruits and vegetables; 25% had canceled their gym memberships or health club memberships in the past six months; and 32% had put off preventive care, canceled appointments with their doctors, or stopped taking their medications just to save money.

Timothy Gardner, president of the AHA, says that although doctors have made dramatic steps forward in recent years in the fight against heart disease and stroke, disturbing trends such as those reported by the surveys threaten to take away from those gains. Doctors need to remind people that despite the economic uncertainties - and perhaps because of them - people need to remember how important it is to take care of their health.

The AAFP’s survey showed that 60% of the doctors responding said they are seeing more problems with their patients now because they are skipping important preventive care procedures and visits. In addition, more than half of the doctors reported that they had seen fewer total patients during the past year, and they are seeing nearly a 75% increase in uninsured patients. More than 60% reported a decrease in patients with health insurance sponsored by their employers. Corporate downsizing, resulting in workers losing employer-sponsored health insurance, is now literally killing people.

Dr. Ted Epperly, President of the AAFP, says that it can be very dangerous when patients forego their health in an effort to save money. One 45-year-old diabetic patient with heart disease lost his health insurance after he was laid off, so he stopped taking his diabetes medicine. When his glucose got out of control, he suffered a heart attack and died. Another man with bipolar disease stopped his antipsychotic medicine in order to save money. As a result, he became manic and out of control, and he eventually lost his job, his home, and finally his family.

Even patients who are financially stable can suffer tremendous stress if they believe their job is in jeopardy. Stress directly impacts the immune system, and it can make people sicker than they ordinarily would be, particularly if they are not taking preventive measures that they should be taking. Because fast-food chains are less expensive than fancy restaurants, many people are eating less healthy diets, and blood pressures are higher. The price tag of screening procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and PSA tests are causing patients to either put them off or cancel them altogether. And last but not least, stress is causing millions of people to lose sleep, which increases the stress further.

Despite the recession, there are ways that people can be proactive about their health and cut back to some extent on expenses without risking their health. Instead of worrying and overeating to drown your sorrows, try taking a walk. Not only will the fresh air and exercise help clear your head, it will improve your health. Instead of buying cheap fast food, spend the same amount of money - maybe even less - on fresh meats and vegetables and cook your meals at home. Take your vitamins every day, drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep, and if you are taking prescription medicines, do not stop them. If you need to cut back on your budget, your best bet is to cancel your cable TV subscription, cut back on your cell phone minutes, stop drinking, and whittle away at expenses that are not essential. Prioritizing your spending so that your health comes first is not just spending money, it’s an investment in your future.