Wealthy diabetics ditching healthy diets
Posted April 11, 2011 3:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It has been said that money does not buy happiness but a new study is beginning to prove it does not mean a better diet either.
Researchers at the University of Alberta have found that people living with Type 2 diabetes, who make over $120,000 annually, typically have worse eating habits than those in with the disease who earn much less money.
Denise Maxwell, a researcher at the University of Alberta, believes she has found a surprising correlation between levels of income and nutrition.
The study found the quality of diet gradually increased up to the $60,000 mark, where it hit a plateau but then began to gradually fall as income rose.
“We feel strongly that we do want people to be eating a healthy diet, it is difficult for some people to manage economically, said Sharon Zeiler of the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Zeiler said while she is aware of the study, and the results are certainly intriguing, more research needs to be done to validate the results.
“This might remind our provincial governments that this is something that needs to be looked into, and certainly continued for people who have need of a healthy diet,” Zeiler said.
Without proper health care measures taken, Type 2 diabetes can cause complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney problems, nerve damage and erectile dysfunction.
