Big Mac, Thin Wallet - Jennie Viratham Poonsawat

By Jennie Viratham Poonsawat
From Big Mac, Thin Wallet by Sanford E. DeVOE


Nowadays, there are many studies showing that fast food is harmful for one's health. In fact, this kind of food affects not only physically but also mentally because of the fast production and quick consumption. Many people usually prefer fast food since it suits their quick lifestyle and brings a fast gratification as well. Therefore, fast food implants the idea of getting things right away, that's why many people in this generation cannot wait and these people will do anything to get whatever they want. Recent researches by Sanford E. DeVOE and his colleagues at the University of Toronto, Julian House and Chen-Bo Zhong show that subjects who often consume fast food tend to do other things fast as well. During the experiment, subjects were given pictures of fast food or logos of fast food restaurants and they had to recall the experience in fast food restaurants and the moment while they were eating the food. Afterwards, the researchers would give some tasks for the subjects to accomplish like reading a paragraph and report. The subjects appeared to be hurry in every task and try to finish everything right away. Therefore, eating too much fast food causes the consumers to be less patient and want everything right away just like how they eat fast food in daily life.  Moreover, fast food consumption also effects in people’s habits as well like how they save money. The researchers obtained geographically coded data from respondents, nationally representative data set maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which included how much more money a respondent would demand to delay receiving $1,000 by a month. (The more people demand to delay receiving the reward is a standard measure of how financially impatient they are.)

This article is really true for the society these days where people are used to have things very fast like the information even other tasks on a daily basis. Fast food is a big problem especially in the United States because nowadays people even only young ones are developing obesity and diabetes while in the past, only old people or adults would have these diseases. It shows that now people are having unhealthy life at young age due to the large consumption of fast food. This kind of fast consumption effects people mentally and physically since when consumers eat fast food every day, obviously they become fat and also tend to be moody as well because they don’t know how to wait for a long time due to the quick lifestyle that they can get things right away without waiting. This serious problem should be solved because it will affect the kids in this generation especially their learning capacities. Not only in the United States, fast food effects people in almost every country where fast food are being sold, the consumption changes the way people live and causes the bad habits. I strongly agree with some people that fast food should be banned in schools because those kids deserve to have good environment in school.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/opinion/sunday/fast-food-empty-piggy-banks.html?mabReward=RI%3A16