Some Canadians May Eat Themselves To Death Unless Oil Prices Rise, Doctor Warns
Late last month in “This Is Canada's Depression: Surging Crime, Soaring Suicides, Overwhelmed Food Banks ‘And The Worst Is Yet To Come,’” we took a sweeping look at what is truly pitiable situation in Alberta, the heart of the Canadian oil patch.
Roughly a third of provincial revenue is derived from “resources” which means that when oil prices collapsed, the territory plunged into recession. Oil and gas investment fell by more than a third in in 2015 and in its latest fiscal update, the government said it fully expects the weakness to carry into 2016.
Going into December, Canada was expected to lose as many as 100,000 oil and gas sector jobs in 2015. As the following chart from Bloomberg clearly demonstrates, the pain is especially acute in Calgary:
Needless to say, that kind of economic malaise has very real societal consequences.
In Alberta for instance, suicides were up 30% through June while violent crime is soaring. Property crime in Calgary, for example, rose nearly 40% during the first quarter.
Food bank use in the province jumped more than 23% in March (the last month for which there's data) and repo men say business is booming as Canadians struggle to make car payments amid the downturn.
Now, some medical professionals warn that the fallout from crude's historic plunge may well drive Albertans to eat themselves to death. "Alberta’s oil slump could have heavy, and unanticipated health consequences, experts are warning: a jump in obesity rates," the National Post writes, adding that "the sudden shock of job loss, debt and unemployment can trigger stress-related physiological responses that cause the body to store fat, slow the rate it burns calories and increase cravings for high-fat, calorie-loaded 'comfort foods.'"
“As medical professionals, we need to acknowledge that unemployment and the worries that come with it can make our patients susceptible to weight gain,” warns Dr. Arya Sharma, professor and chair of obesity research and management at the University of Alberta. Here's more from Sharma's recent blog post entitled "Will Low Oil Prices Lead To An Obesity Spike In Alberta?":
According to the Alberta economic dashboard, in October 2015, Alberta’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.6%, up from the 4.4% rate a year earlier and from last month’s 6.5% rate. The youth unemployment rate was 11.6%, up from last year’s 9.0% rate, while male unemployment increased precipitously from 3.6% last October to 7.3% this year.
As no one seems to be expecting a rosier future for this industry, it may well be that many who lost their jobs in the wake of mass oil patch
layoffs, will find the coming months (not to mention the festive season) both economically and emotionally challenging.
According to this report, suicide rates from January to June in Alberta this year are up 30% compared to the same period in 2014.
One challenge that may escape notice is the fact that this situation may also lead to significant weight gain in those affected.
Depression, anxiety, food insecurity, insomnia and simply being unable to afford healthy food are all important risk factors for weight gain.
Indeed it is hard to imagine how going from a high-paying job to being unemployed with little immediate hope of recovery will affect families.
As The Post goes on to note, " studies show that during the 2008 global financial meltdown families forced to cut back on food spending switched to cheaper, processed foods high in sugar and saturated fats [with] the hardest hit reducing their consumption of fruits and vegetables by as much as 20 per cent." To add insult to injury, "many in Alberta are losing their jobs just as healthy food becomes even pricier: The dollar’s plunge and California drought led to a sharp rise in the prices of many fruits and vegetables in 2015, and University of Guelph researchers, in their annual Food Price Report, predict prices will increase in 2016 by up to 4.5 per cent — meaning the average household will spend $345 more than in 2015 for the same food, according to a university release."
So in Alberta it's "feast or famine" in the most literal sense of the phrase as those who can still afford to buy food will drown their sorrows in cheap lunch meat and off-brand ice cream while the most hard hit members of society are forced to tap increasingly overwhelmed food banks.
"One Australian study found those hit hard in the last global recession had a 20-per-cent higher risk of becoming obese than those who escaped the worst of the slowdown," The Post recounts before noting that "already, nearly six out of 10 Albertans are overweight or obese." Here's the official data from the Health Quality Council of Alberta:
So quick Saudi Arabia, stop being so obstinate and cut production.
You've already destroyed Alberta's economy, do you want it to eat itself to death too?
(12 votes)
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They retired.
Edit: What's the feckin problem? They have FREE healthcare!
I'm suuure......the government won't let them down.
Somebody put a call into that pretty new PM. He needs to institute a program.
Watch out America, you got an obese rivalry.
Long- High Fructose Corn Sirp.
Long happy meals. Short whole foods.
I'm stressed. Give me those fkn twinkies.
After this collapse, obesity won't be a problem. Finding canned food will be challenging enough
At least fat is insulating. Chubby people do seem warmer than the emaciated. This could have some benefit.
Well look at me, a sliver of optimism without drinking. I should write for usa today. Microbes are such depressing creatures.
Miffed;-)
You can be like a 20th century tyrant, sending trillions of them to the autoclave! Muhahahahahaaaa..
I've lived in Edmonton, Alberta off and on for 33 years (the reasons why escape me) but this article is pure hyperbole....which is a bit of a ZH tradition. Take a fact and crank up the noise to 10. Let me be the first to tell you that the house is indeed NOT on fire. Resume your regularily scheduled programming.
it's not a boom and is a bust but the world hasn't driven over a cliff and the economy still ticks over like every where else.
Two words:
Donut tax.
The extra fat is also a store of calories for especially lean times (at least, that's what I tell myself).
But as to food stamps, back when I got them, we ate better that we do today. We had groceries out the wazzoo. Stamps (actual paper ones) left over at the end of the month. It was embarrassing.
I think most of my depression money would go to booze, though, not food. Working for the under the table money to buy the booze and sitting back to collect the check. I was such a fool back then.
Please just leave Montreal out of this. Can't have those women turn obese, they are stunning
We're alright, we produce zilch in terms of oil and gas in the province of Quebec. Some see risks, others see opportunities..
The women seem to fare beter than the men......
Probably had to resort to pole dancing to juice family income
Truck on ladies.....Truck on
That made me think it might be a good place to try some poaching. (not because of the pole dancing part, but that could just be me)
"So I heard you're from Canada..."
https://youtu.be/vUCGdHKiLDE
Great White North. (I like Canadians!)
Kids, you missed some great TV. /sarc
Free healthcare? You don't think the taxpayers take it in the ass full throttle with no lube for this? Nothing is free.
Alberta is quite fucked. Maybe we should bomb those Saudi scumbags to solve two problems at once... raise oil prices and give those terrorists lovers some payback
My boss has all his family in Calgary. I asked him how the oil collapse was affecting things. He awkwardly looked away and said it wasn't bad...
Well hes full of shit. Half of my family lives there and its horrible
I talked to some people in the Bakken over Christmas break and the hammer has really come down there too. Well established locals are taking huge hits now. It probably doesn't help that those wells decline like an SOB and all these farmers that had oil wells thought they would continue to roll in huge dough like they did the first few months. Decline rates+low price+you lost your job+rentals going vacant = Not good at all. Plus it's probably -30 in that delightful place.
About 20% more homes on sale compared to last year, sitting on the market 11% longerhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-housing-prices-down-in-oct...
They are selling like crazy in AZ too. One person I know put a house on the market in Yuma and the agent said it was a bad time as there is high inventory from Canadian sellers. We have tons of Canadians in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and they are putting their up quite a few homes here. I am not sure if they are second homes or what. It sucks cause they are good to have around, don't get many problems from them.
Yep, I live here, been unemployed as an Electrician of 20 years for the past six months... Had three old apprentices (now Jmen) loss their jobs too. Two found work, the third fell victim to what I warned him of... companies hiring temporarily just to get projects done. He was hired Dec 6th and laid off Dec 30 (merry fucking Xmas).
Last company I worked for laid off 20+ Jmen... previous company has laid off too, 1st company I started the trade in keeps telling me that nothing is happening. Old apprentice who went up North to the oil sands years ago called to wish me a merry Xmas and ask about work. Brother is middle management for a plumbing company, laying people off, Realtor friends are blogging to pass the time, mechanic friends are staying somewhat steady but a definite downturn in work. Local pub / restaurant has seen a large decrease in customers, buddy that owns a liquor store has even seen a bit of a slow down.
Media reported today something like a 26% downturn in home sales... it's not pretty, but I'm not fat yet, but I refuse to go to the food bank and am living off about $250/ month as I refuse to sell my Gold and Silver... not the right time yet for that.
Yeah, well, that was my point after all...
Not bad at all. His 16 year old niece can get $20 for a blow job and as a bonus gets a hot meal too.
How about just bomb the bank of can......
Hmmmmm, if I write this will the RCMP be paying me a visit?
It's ok they got hot housing market
..."More Back Bacon for me Eh?.....take off you Hoser!"....
You mean ham? Canadian bacon is ham
Canadian back bacon is loin.
Canadian bacon ....... IT'S PEOPLE!!!!!
We had the actual Great White North record album when I was uh younger. On it is this game Bob and Doug play, 'The Beer Hunter' in which they shake up one can of beer from a six pack and then take turns opening cans next to their own heads. It is one of the most fucked up and hilarious things you will ever hear.
Who the hell down voted that comment??
What a hoser, ayyy
Take off!!!!
Albertans have been obese for years. No news here.
Should I send you a nude selfie to prove you wrong?
Tits or GTFO!
Canadien
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vvpgyMOf30
Well, at least we'll know where to drill for fat, when the time comes.
Drill, medic, drill!
Now, what about that Gulf of Mexico Oil Patch?
Let me get to some Politician's Throats, I'll show the fine Dr some "Eating to Death".
What a stupid pointless article.
I clicked on thinking it was an article about all the great things about the movie "Canadian Bacon". Such a great movie, full of false flags and misdirection. "In my day everyone was afraid of the reds. Here a red, there a red, everywhere a red red, eai eai oh" one of John Candy's best. Alan Alda and Rip Torn were also good.
Doesn't matter how much you eat so long as you burn it all.
Plenty of great places to get out and burn calories in Canada, especially in winter!
It's the sitting around in front of the Lie Box that kills.
This is a big deal cuz dey has da Socialized Medicine insanity.
The Canadian medical system is probably about the only thing government does (reasonably) well.
Saved my life a couple of times and i only had to pay for the casts.
Cancer survivor here... if I lived in the USA I'd be dead or bankrupt.
Until you need to see a specialist. 6 month waits for MRI are not uncommon here - MRI to determine if a tumour is cancerous.
Only the proles use the "free" health care. Politicians go south of the border, or overseas.
Unless you are looking to have your cock shoved up in your body, or big toe sewed on at the end of your cunt. Then you get top place in the queue.
I've had two kids that needed MRIs within the last ten years, and each of them only waited a couple of days. My wife complained about a lump last week, went to a walk in clinic and is having a test tomorrow. Heathcare is fair here.
My mother would have waited 6 months for a baseball sized lump on her neck - if we hadn't personally known a chief neurosurgeon who could give a referral.
My grandmother was told 2 years for a hip - and she was pretty much immobile by then.
If you could choose to visit a private clinic that would be one thing - but everyone is forced to use our shit-hole public system.