Instead of tightening belts, credit crunch victims are loosening them because debt can make you seriously overweight, a study finds.
A study of more than 9,000 people in two German towns found that 25% of those seriously in debt were clinically obese.
Those without financial problems had only an 11% chance of being obesely overweight, the study found.
"While income, education and occupational status are frequently used in definitions of socio-economic status, levels of debt are not usually considered," said study leader Dr Eva Munster, from the University of Mainz.
"We've shown that debt can be associated with the probability of being overweight or obese, independent of these factors."
Someone who is obese has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above.
The researchers blame the trend on the high cost of healthy options at the supermarket and comfort eating to reduce the stress of money worries.
The study also found that high debt levels meant people sacrificed leisure and exercise time.
The study is published today in the medical journal, BMC Public Health.
