Are Americans Sacrificing Their Health to Save Money?

May 17, 2009 -- The slumping economy isn't just affecting American's financial health -- it's taking a toll on physical health as well.

A new survey from the American Heart Association found nearly a third of consumers are cutting back on everything from doctor visits to fresh fruits and vegetables. More than half say the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health.

AHA president Dr. Tim Gardner said this was a disturbing trend related to the bad economy.

"They were cancelling appointments. They weren't seeing their dentist. They weren't engaging in gym activities and things like that," he said. "I would think that people would not allow healthfulness or prevention of illness be a discretionary item in their budget."

Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University and the author of "What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating," said a poor economy often translates into poor health.

"When people don't have money, they look for every way they can start cutting," Nestle said. "They can't cut out rent, so they cut out expensive doctor bills -- especially if they don't have health insurance, and cut out buying expensive foods."

Fatima Sanders admitted she can't always afford the best food for her children.

"She can't even get a sandwich," she said, referring to her daughter. "She has to get the chips for 75 cents."

Tamie Brian said while she's not cutting back on healthy food for her children, both she and her husband have been working extra hours in order to afford to keep her children well-nourished -- putting their own health at risk.

"The top priority is our children, so we're not going to not take them to the doctor if they're sick and so we'll make sure we'll cut other places if we need to," Brian said.

Nestle says the single most important risk factor for poor health is poverty.

"If you don't have enough money to eat well, to take care of your health, live a comfortable and relatively stress-free life, your health is going to be at risk," she said.