Higher gasoline price seen trimming down Americans

Higher gasoline price seen trimming down Americans US News Reuters.com: “Entitled ‘A Silver Lining? The Connection between Gas Prices and Obesity,’ the study found that an additional $1 per gallon in real gasoline prices would reduce U.S. obesity by 15 percent after five years. The report, written by Charles Courtemanche for his doctoral dissertation in health economics, found that the 13 percent rise in obesity between 1979 and 2004 can be attributed to falling pump prices.”

That is about the dumbest thing I ever heard. I guess they are giving doctorates out for any idiotic dissertations these days. People have been getting fatter and gas prices have been going up. One has nothing to do with the other. If you raise gas another buck a gallon only people’s wallets will get thinner. There have been plenty of studies that prove that poorer people get fatter because much of what they eat is cheeper starch and sugar products. So your suggestion will only make people poorer and fatter.

What you should of said in your dissertation is that if gas goes up fat people will be willing to hook themselves up to liposuction machines if they get paid for their lard fuel output. It makes much more sense.