Fat Tax, Distance Endurance, and Neighborhood Health
Lose weight, fatten your wallet? According to a Gold’s Gym research study, obesity comes with financial costs in addition to the well-known health drawbacks. From higher gas expenses and more doctor visits to higher food prices and clothing costs, Golds’ research gives a break down of the numbers. The research reports that obese Americans lose almost $10,000 per year out of their own pockets (based on the median U.S. salary of $48,451).
Penny pinching.
Endurance Running
I’ve always wondered how people make it through the last mile of a marathon. Now researchers may have clues. According to a study at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, in a long-distance race, a runner’s heart rate increases in a controlled manner and appears to be scaled to the race distance. Evaluating heart rate responses during 5- to 100-km races, runners were found to actively keep their intensity in check in anticipation of the finish. This requires runners to constantly reassess their fatigue levels and adjust their pace to make sure fatigue doesn’t get out of control. So I guess I’ll just have to practice more running awareness. I’ll start small.
Pace yourself.
Real Estate Health
When buying a home,you might think new is better, but University of Utah researchers found that people who live in older, more walkable neighborhoods are at lower risk for being overweight. The study found that neighborhoods built before 1950 were more likely to be pedestrian friendly. Newer neighborhoods have been designed more for modern car traveling.
—Erin
Photos grabbed from http://www.photobucket.com/.