There may be one benefit to the rising cost of gas. It could make Americans less fat.
Some economists are looking at obesity in light of transportation statistics that predict driving and car ownership will drop due to the high cost of gas. A study by Dr. Charles Courtemanche, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, suggests a dollar increase in gas could curb driving and slash the obesity rate by 10%.
A similar article in The Economist suggests five million obese adults could be slim and trim by 2017 if they cut their commute by one mile and hit the pavement instead. So what do you think, are Americans really going to break out their sneakers to save a few bucks on gas or are we just too lazy to care? [Good]