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How the Icelandic crisis made the Icelanders to live healthier

Monday, 30 July 2012
As Iceland fell into financial crisis in 2008, its people automatically changed their ways of living to a more healthy living. A new study according to media reports show that crisis-hit Icelanders had to cut back on alcohol, sugar and fast foods to instead, sleep and exercise more.

The financial crisis of 2008 affected Iceland very severely forcing some of its strongest banks to go bust and owing the UK and Holland money the people of those countries paid in the Icesave account owned by an Icelandic bank - Landsbanki. The country went into a slow down as the feud between the UK - Holland ensued against Iceland where they requested that the Icelandic government pay the money that was lost in its bank, Iceland rejected that and a sort of economic melt down continued in the island nation.

Curtesy the Economist

In a short time, GDP fell dramatically and its currency collapsed, banks were nationalized, businesses went bankrupt and incomes were slaughtered. Because of this, or perhaps because of the crisis, Icelanders seems to have changed their old bad habits for the better, writes The Economist.

The recent study shows that the Icelanders' way of life was worse in 2007 before the financial crisis than in 2009 when the country's economy was severely economically hit. The trend is clear - the intake of all hazardous goods such as alcohol, tobacco and sugar fell, particularly among the working population.

The Icelanders suddenly drank less alcohol, ate less sweets and fast food and cut down on smoking may be because they had less money to spend on expensive goods as incomes fell.

In addition, fast-food chain McDonalds closed its restaurants in Iceland. The study of over 9800 Icelanders show that diet in general has become worse since the crisis as Iceland imports much of its fresh food and import prices have risen.

Among the crisis, positive effects are increased ability to sleep as especially Icelandic men needed more sleep than before. Because they work less, they have fewer problems to keep them awake, say the study's authors. There were also increased exercises as there was increased time to keep the body active with little work to do.
More about the study could be seen here - the external link to the Economist
By Scancomark.se Team

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