Is Upward Mobility Hazardous to Your Health?
Those who do climb the ladder, against the odds, often pay a little-known price: Success at school and in the workplace can exact a toll on the body that may have long-term repercussions for health…
Compared with others in the study, they were more obese, had higher blood pressure and produced more stress hormones (like cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline)…They were at substantial risk for developing diabetes or hypertension down the line…
At age 20, the lower-income college kids had greater obesity, higher blood pressure and more stress hormones than those who did not make it to college. (Their health was also worse than that of peers in more affluent, educated neighborhoods.)…
If we look at the life expectancy associated with a college education, blacks gain about four fewer years from bachelor’s degrees than do whites. In fact, black college graduates have shorter life expectancies than do white high school graduates. (NYT)
Evidently the benefit of success incurs a cost to an individuals health. I am sure any stressed out college student could vouch for this.
“Compared with others in the study, they were more obese, had higher blood pressure and produced more stress hormones”
Proof that too much studying can be bad for you.
Brace yourselves, the excuses for health-related reasons for not studying are coming.
Professor, I didn’t write my paper because I was afraid continuing to fully commit myself to my education would result in my health taking a blow.
To be fair, I’ve definitely experienced studying until you were sick at the exclusion of all else. It’s not fun.
I could have died!
How long until someone accuses a professor of trying to murder them with homework?
I can already imagine that article in The Onion.
“Success at school and in the workplace can exact a toll on the body that may have long-term repercussions for health…”
I can feel it already!
So that’s where all my hair went…
You’re just too successful!
I am sure pharmaceutical companies will be thrilled to hear about this. “Here is your college diploma, and here is your free sample of Atenolol.”
Somebody prep the graduation gift bags – stress balls and pills for everyone.
A prescription of xanax for graduation.
“In fact, black college graduates have shorter life expectancies than do white high school graduates.”
Now that’s pretty interesting!
“Of course, much more could be done: huge investments in primary education, so that kids have both the opportunity and preparedness to attend college, and face less social isolation, discrimination and alienation.”
If our K-12 education system were better suited to prepare students for college and life after college, maybe we wouldn’t see these high stress levels and such.
I think to a degree achieving any success will bear some sort of stress. However, lower income college kids I would imagine bear a greater cost of stress since they are likely a first generation college student.
It would be interesting to see how this finding held up across all low-income groups.
Just imagine conducting this study in South Korea, where every student is exceedingly unhappy.
Well, if there was zero upward mobility and everyone was unemployed, I will certainly not be obese but I might have stress when some little furry creature eats all the vegetables that I can produce in my garden and I have nothing left to eat.