GDP: Out, Joie de Vivre: In

(MoneyWatch)  I've been so wrapped up in the preparation for the one-year anniversary of the financial melt-down, that I've blown off working out, physical therapy appointments and my friends . This is not a great revelation--we're all working harder than ever, which is why I was drawn to a story this week about alternative ways to measure economic output.

In a speech at the Sorbonne on Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed that from now on, France would gauge the economy's health by considering well-being in addition to GDP. Who but a French president could make this proclamation?


The French have always seemed quite good at enjoying their lives--they even have a term to describe it: "Joie de Vivre", which literally means "the joy of living". President Sarkozy suggested that possible measures of general happiness (or maybe the "Joie de Vivre Index (JdV)", might include: employment levels, health care, vacation, household assets and income, consumption and education.

Considering that new data from the Census bureau indicate the incomes of young and middle-aged have plummeted since 2000, it may be time for the US to consider our own version of the French JdV index.

Here's my list--feel free to suggest your own variable to include in my not-so-scientific analysis:

• Time spent reading non-financial material
• Number of work-outs per week
• Meals prepared at home (delivery not included!)
• Number of 7-8 hour nights of sleep
• Theater/Opera attendance

Image by Flickr User Serge Melki, CC 2.0