England may be losers, but is your health a winner?
We lost; we’re out of the world cup. It’s a predictable state of affairs for an English sports fan. But is there a bonus for our health?
An over indulgence of food, drink and cigarettes is typical of an evening on the sofa or in the pub supporting the national side. It seems fair to say that with England’s trophy dreams kicked into touch a little less beer, fast food and tobacco will be consumed on the weekends. Surely this is a bonus for the nation’s health, if only until the next sporting spectacle arrives?
While England’s early world cup exit might benefit national health, disastrous effects on UK stock valuations were proposed. A 2007 research paper ‘Sports sentiment and stock returns’ showed that markets can fall as much as 0.5% the day after a major sporting loss. This would have amounted to a £3 billion loss from the FTSE100.
A City AM article quotes Professor Alex Edmans (the author of the research) as saying; ‘Rationally, if there’s a loss then the stock market would decline because, for example, spending would be less because people would not be going to pubs as much.’
With a lower alcohol unit intake we should feel happier, healthier and maybe even a little bit richer! So with our spirits flying high we can keep on smiling until the next time we crash out of a competition.
-Written by Harry P.
