Obesity rates as reported in the day to day news have been rising for a number of years. One paper released from 2010 looked at the positive correlation between restaurants and obesity to ascertain whether restaurants could be attributed as a potential cause of the condition.
The study looked at whether restaurants were a cause of obesity or whether the correlation between them and obesity merely reflected consumer preferences to eat out and for convenience foods they could get in a hurry. The case against restaurants broadly showed that the frequency of eating out was positively correlated with a greater intake of fat, sodium and energy; factors associated with modern day obesity.
The proximity of fast food and full service restaurants and whether this had an impact on body mass was investigated and tested. A correlation was found regarding fast food restaurants which are widely associated with being unhealthy. A short survey was conducted to obtain the results with California chosen as the location to conduct the investigation.
Results showed that residents living in an area containing a fast food restaurant were more likely to visit it than residents living in an area with no fast food restaurant. Another finding also showed that those living between zero and five miles from a fast food establishment visited them more frequently than those living between five and ten miles from a fast food establishment.
The study concluded that although restaurant proximity is correlated with consumption, restaurant consumption has no significant effect on obesity. This may appear a surprising find considering the positive correlation between obesity and eating out and also the increase in portion sizes over the years. One potential reason given for this conclusion is that individuals with a high calorific demand may eat out more, meaning the correlation could be as a result of individual choice. Secondly, if people consume more calories at a restaurant, they could offset this by consuming less during the day. Although restaurants conveniently deliver calories at a low marginal cost, they are only one source among many and calorific intake is ultimately determined by the individual.
The study looked at whether restaurants were a cause of obesity or whether the correlation between them and obesity merely reflected consumer preferences to eat out and for convenience foods they could get in a hurry. The case against restaurants broadly showed that the frequency of eating out was positively correlated with a greater intake of fat, sodium and energy; factors associated with modern day obesity.
The proximity of fast food and full service restaurants and whether this had an impact on body mass was investigated and tested. A correlation was found regarding fast food restaurants which are widely associated with being unhealthy. A short survey was conducted to obtain the results with California chosen as the location to conduct the investigation.
Results showed that residents living in an area containing a fast food restaurant were more likely to visit it than residents living in an area with no fast food restaurant. Another finding also showed that those living between zero and five miles from a fast food establishment visited them more frequently than those living between five and ten miles from a fast food establishment.
The study concluded that although restaurant proximity is correlated with consumption, restaurant consumption has no significant effect on obesity. This may appear a surprising find considering the positive correlation between obesity and eating out and also the increase in portion sizes over the years. One potential reason given for this conclusion is that individuals with a high calorific demand may eat out more, meaning the correlation could be as a result of individual choice. Secondly, if people consume more calories at a restaurant, they could offset this by consuming less during the day. Although restaurants conveniently deliver calories at a low marginal cost, they are only one source among many and calorific intake is ultimately determined by the individual.
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