Currently growth has no correlation to quality of life. I am a healthy, happy 28 year old. I don’t take any medication and have no medical issues; I am bad for the economy. If I smoked (tobacco revenue, medical costs), drove a car (less walking, more medical costs, more gas, more oil revenue), and ate more processed foods (more expensive, more medical problems, medical costs), I’d be good for the economy. My less healthy lifestyle would promote growth.

Until we redefine what’s good, we will continue to encourage self-destructive behavior.

Andres regarding Credit Card Debt Drops To Lowest Level In 8 Years  (via soupsoup, tedr)

i was all like “yeah that’s a good point” until i thought about it. eating healthy unprocessed food is way more expensive. a gym is expensive. doing things instead of being home and inactive is expensive.

(via nudawn)

I have to agree with what is said above. I was thinking of the amount of money I have spent on living a healthy lifestyle, and in the past 2 years with bikes, hospital visits (from injuries sustained running and cycling), eating well etc has to float in the $15,000-20,000 range. Obviously the payoffs to being healthy are enormous, and if you follow my blog you know that it is a large part of what shapes me, so I am not arguing that at all.

It is however a bit myopic to say that by living healthy you contribute to the constriction of the US economy. Don’t believe me?  I would urge you to take a lap around Central Park and add up the cost of bikes one day, you will see the healthy are doing their part to stimulate the economy.