The Economics of Gym-Going, Part 1

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A new study finds that unemployment “increases the risk of premature mortality by 63 percent.”  Eran Shor, one of the study’s authors, believes there’s a causal relationship: “In past research on the topic, Shor said it was hard to distinguish whether pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes or heart problems, or behaviors such as smoking, drinking or drug use, lead to both unemployment and a greater risk of death. In the new study, controls were included to account for those factors.”  The effect is particularly strong in men, a finding which Shor attributes to the increased pressure on men to be primary earners: “In our society, men are more expected to have a job and bring home a salary. When they can’t do that, it is very stressful.”