Money and Health: A Tale of Two Measures in China

In China, the link between money and health is not as straightforward as it might seem. Recent research using data from 2016 and 2020 shows that how people feel about their health and what their body mass index (BMI) says can be quite different. This difference changes depending on where you live and how much money you have. At the personal level, having more expensive stuff like cars or big homes does not always mean a healthy BMI. In fact, it might mean the opposite. But, spending more on travel or having more cash in the bank is linked to people feeling healthier. This shows that money can affect health in different ways.When looking at the bigger picture, provinces with higher average incomes show a lower percentage of people with a normal BMI. This is interesting because it goes against what we might expect. More money does not always mean a healthier weight. Also, as incomes grow, some health gaps get smaller, but others get bigger. For example, people might spend more on cars, but not necessarily on healthier habits. Another surprising finding is that southern provinces tend to have healthier BMIs, but people there rate their health as worse than those in the north. This is a clear example of how health can be measured in different ways. What your scale says and how you feel are not always the same. These findings show that the relationship between money and health in China is complex. It is not just about how much money you have, but also about where you live and what you spend it on. To improve health for everyone, policies need to consider these differences and be tailored to local needs.