For anyone out there that has been filling up your car with gas and/or shopping at supermarkets or other stores, you have noticed an incredible increase in prices. The inflation rate stands at 7.9% and this represents the highest 12-month inflation seen since 1982. This impacts everyone, but this is especially concerning for those people already struggling with meeting their expenses.
There are several ways that inflation impacts our weight control efforts. Here are some of them:
- Stress: There is no doubt that inflation stresses everyone out and that stress may lead to “stress eating”. Unfortunately, that stress eating consists more of consuming the high caloric/high sugar food sources as opposed to proteins and vegetables
- Turning to lower-priced meals: To keep food budgets down, it is easier to turn to pastas, processed foods and other derailing food sources as opposed to spending more $$$ on the more expensive lean proteins.
- Avoiding spending money on gym membership, home gym equipment, etc: Inflation will cause us to redirect resources to the “essentials” and not spend $$$ on additional items, even though those expenditures may keep us healthier.
Here is another view on inflation: The eroding value of our retirement monies will cause many of us to work for more years than expected. This will require us to remain healthy enough to stay working past the time we thought we would be able to retire. Therefore it is essential that we avoid the serious medical conditions that would deprive us from working.
Focusing on your weight control efforts will increase the odds of you being able to continue to generate the necessary $$$ to remain in your current lifestyle and pave the way for a very comfortable retirement, whenever that will occur. Given the inflation rates, that retirement horizon seems a bit more distant. Stay resolute to shed that weight!
