Putting Money Where Your Weight Is
/It’s no secret dieting is hard. Not only is it saddening to have to swap your cheesecake for a piece of celery, but there are many added expenses that go along with your new commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Avraham Byers for the Financial Post points out that there are hidden financial costs of a healthier diet. In Byers’ own case, while he admits the health benefits of shedding extra pounds are obvious, he hadn’t anticipated or planned for the cost of healthy food and the new wardrobe he had to buy. A recent study from Harvard, he emphasizes, showed that a healthy diet costs $2,000 a year more than an unhealthy one (for an average family of four).
According to Marketdata Enterprises, Goeff Williams shares, Americans spend more than $60 billion annually trying to lose weight. Those numbers include fitness center memberships, weight-loss programs, and – healthier food! “Is that worth it?” he asks, proceeding to answer with a reminder of the incalculable savings to be gained long-term from avoiding medications, hospital stays, and procedures. In other words, Williams is saying, “Don’t go cheap on your health because it will cost you more in the long run. “Eat healthy,” he concludes, “but plan for the additional costs.”
EatingWell.com offers a number of helpful hints for those who want to lose weight without “losing the farm”:
Instead of buying costly prepared meals, which often tend to be high in calories, cook your own at home.
Instead of buying expensive pre-portioned meals, get acquainted with proper portion sizes so you can help cap overeating. Get started by using a kitchen scale or measuring cups to measure proper servings of your favorite foods.
As financial advisors, we at WEFA put it this way: Staying healthy, both physically and financially, is a goal worth your effort.
Content was prepared by a freelance journalist on behalf of Worley Erhart-Graves Financial
