But it may be worse than that. According to new research from financial service provider Friends Provident along with UK charity the Blood Pressure Association, Britons' health is getting worse as the credit crunch bites.
Nearly 29 million people, or roughly 66 per cent, feel more stressed, less fit and less healthy than they did three years ago, according to the findings. The Britain Under Pressure report found that the economic downturn means 37 per cent of people are feeling more stressed, 19 per cent are losing sleep and 15 per cent are working longer hours.
In addition, seven per cent are drinking more and six per cent are smoking more as they attempt to deal with the financial pressures facing them. In addition, nine per cent expect to start drinking more in the next six months. And a majority of 1 in 4 brits do not think they are doing enough to care for their health.
It gets worse. More than half of people (56 per cent) are buying food of a poorer quality to try to reduce outgoings and 15 per cent have sacrificed spending on fruit and vegetables in an effort to cope financially. Almost a quarter (21 per cent) are using the gym less, with many specifically citing money as the reason.
Many are also relying more on less healthy ready-meals and takeaways, with 77 per cent regularly cooking them.
All in all, lifestyle changes and worry could cause a blood pressure "ticking time bomb", according to the Blood Pressure Association. Chairman Professor Graham MacGregor warned that uncontrolled and undetected high blood pressure could lead to strokes, heart failure and heart attacks. All of which are responsible for most of btitains deaths.
He stated that people should have a free blood pressure test.
According to Mark Jones, head of protection at Friends Provident, the credit crunch is having "serious ramifications". He declared that lifestyle changes for the worse, such as a not so healthy diet and lack of exercise could affect blood pressure and health in the long term.
Even apart from problems linked directly to financial worries, 42 per cent of people seldom monitor their salt intake while a third never or rarely eat the recommended five fruit and vegetable portions a day.
As such, people are being encouraged to take better care of their health. And one avocation with a reputation for being relaxing is gardening. Which is just as well, as gardening expert Joe Swift, presenter of BBC's Gardening World, says that maintaining a garden can add to the value of your home.
His comments may well be of interest to people looking for ways to finance a loan or improve the price of their house as they attempt to secure a loan for a property. Plants and summer houses are popular at the moment, while decking and paving can help to push up the value of a home.
To date the online sector seems to be holding up well, with the most buoyancy being felt in search, affiliates and other transparent direct response driving channels. Paid search (PPC) and search engine optimisation (SEO) provide clear and transparent ROI. Despite current trading conditions Ad spend on search is still growing with the lions share as ever being spent on Google. Predictions that search would top the ?2 Billion mark during 2008 may still be on the mark as during the first 6 months of the year ad spend on search reached ?980M in the UK. (*Brand republic ? check figures)
With marketers still spending online and the online sector holding up well, who is feeling the pinch? The first sectors to have been hit as everyone is aware were the property and financial sectors. This is no news, but as the credit crunch hits ?the real economy? what can we expect? In the retail sector there is a worry that Christmas 2008 will be the worst for 30 years, insolvency specialists warned this week that 323 UK retailers are on a ?critical watch list? with a 70% chance of failing in the new year. This list includes some well known high street names such as JJB Sports and there have already been high profile casualties such as the Miss Sixty retail chain.
It is not all doom and gloom however ASOS (As Seen On Screen) the online fashion store has doubled sales in the last six months (source The Independent 9th Oct 2008). ASOS has achieved this impressive growth in no small part due to their robust online marketing strategies which include search engine optimisation SEO, Pay per click (PPC), affiliate activity and strong interaction with customers through newsletters and email marketing. Predictions that retailers who have failed to establish a strong online presence will suffer most are borne out by the obvious success of companies such as ASOS.
So what can we learn from this? In retail along with other online friendly sectors such as travel, companies are clearly continuing to spend online. There are going to be big winners despite the unfavourable conditions and those are likely to be the companies who have the most innovative, performance driven and comprehensive online strategies in place. Marketers need to establish relationships with agencies who can deliver performance led solutions especially in channels such as search engine optimisation and paid search but across all online disciplines. The road ahead may be rocky but in online at least the opportunities are there for all.
Both Mark Dawson & Mediarun Search are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mark Dawson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Insurance, Personal Finance and Finances. Mark Dawson writes for the Loan Arrangers. Where visitors can compare loans online, and apply for the best rate and the cheapest. Mark Dawson's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Mediarun Search has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Internet Marketing. Media Run Search is a company in London that offers. Mediarun Search's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.