Study looks at why risky behavior surged in wake of 2011 tsunami, earthquake
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In a paper in Communications Psychology, Kawachi and co-authors, including lead author Yasuyuki Sawada of the University of Tokyo, found a significant increase in obesity and metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes) among people who suffered housing damage or destruction in the March 11, 2011, disaster.
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Rates of drinking and smoking also increased for people who experienced heavy damage to their homes.
This might not be surprising to epidemiologists, who have consistently found that people who have survived natural disasters tend to engage in risky health behaviors at higher rates than peers who have not. What's novel in Kawachi's research is the underlying mechanism: present bias, also known as hyperbolic discounting, brought about by exposure to scarcity. Present bias is the tendency to prefer immediate rewards over larger, future benefits, even when the benefits of waiting are clear.
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Interestingly, he added, the paper found that participants' tolerance for risk did not change as a result of housing damage or housing loss.
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