Ladies, we have scientific proof of what we’ve been saying for a long time: shopping is good for your health!
A few days ago, we saw an article published in Repubblica that offers scientific proof of the benefits of shopping. The report says that buying things calms anxieties, increases self-esteem, and even—listen to this—helps in losing weight. So, everything we always wanted to hear!
This reference study was carried out by a group of researchers in Taiwan and Australia, with a sample of 1,900 volunteers. It was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. We know, of course, what men are thinking—that the group was made up of 1,900 women! However, that’s not the case. The study was carried out by studying people of both sexes.
The data shows that those over the age of 65 who shop six out of seven days have a 28% lower mortality rate than those who prefer to save their money. The reason is that getting out of the house and browsing in shops means walking and doing physical exercise, improving the mood and reducing sedentary lifestyles. Of course, one should not overdo it and waste money, but spending time doing something for yourself and perhaps buying a little something cute immediately makes us feel better (and we women know this all too well!). Here are some numbers for the women reading this: walking for three hours from shop to shop allows you to burn 350 calories; 500 calories if you avoid taking lifts and escalators. So if you are a shopaholic—like those British women who were used as a sample for research carried out by the Daily Mail—you could even burn up to 15,000 calories in 30 days!
And that is not all. At the beginning of the article, we talked about calming anxiety. That is right. Rik Pieters, a marketing professor at the University of Tiburg in Holland, has done research proving that purchasing things we like is a source of enjoyment that also fights solitude and potential existential issues. It would seem that shopping offers a natural calming effect. Of course, we aren’t talking about stressful times of year like Christmas, when—and you don’t need to be a scientist to prove it—eight out of ten people are anything less than calm when heading to the stores and buying presents to put under the tree!
Shopping makes us happy and improves self-esteem. It is no surprise that the other studies mentioned in the article point out that people tend to shop when they are down, for the psychological benefits it offers. If one shops in a prudent way, without compromising the family’s economic stability (a risk that we face occasionally, especially when the sales start and we women run the risk of…losing control). What’s more, (listen up!), shopping can also help us reach objectives that we have set for ourselves, like following a diet or a healthy lifestyle. Buying something nice is like a reward for when we attain a goal we’ve set for ourselves!
And if we shop with friends, our mothers, or aunts…needless to say, the positive impact on our moods is immediate.
So, to sum up: Shopping may not change your life… but it will change your mood!
Text: Niki Foskolou
Shopping is good for your health: reduces stress and increases self-esteem.