The tax hikes and increased government control of people’s access to medical services that come with Obamacare will continue the recession — which one would have thought would be a negative score on the tote board.

In a situation like this, you can always count on academia to pull a rabbit out of a hat: Bear witness to a new study claiming that “recessions may be good for your health.”

I’m not quite sure what to make of the conclusion, except to recall that 30% of health status is explained by genetic factors, which have no connection to the economy, while I suppose it’s plausible that the 55% explained by behavior and social circumstances is influenced by the economy. — John R. Graham is director of Health Care Studies at the Pacific Research Institute.