Log In | Register
YOU may think a takeaway burger is just something to stuff down when you are in a hurry, but scientists claim that fast food can make one crave instant gratification, become increasingly impatient and even lose the impulse to save money.
Participants in experiments became jittery even when shown the logo of the McDonald's burger chain on screen for such a short instant that they could not recognise it.
Although each individual sighting of a logo has only a short-term subliminal effect, researchers fear that walking daily past numerous burger bars and sandwich shops could have a cumulative "behavioural priming" effect, making people hurry whether or not they are pushed for time.
"Fast food represents a culture of time efficiency and instant gratification," said Chen-Bo Zhong, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at Toronto University in Canada.
Psychological study shows fast food stirring us all into a hurry
Article Source: The Times- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (5)
“The problem is that the goal of saving time gets activated upon exposure to fast food regardless of whether time is a relevant factor in the context.
“For example, walking faster is time-efficient when one is trying to make a meeting, but it’s a sign of impatience when one is going for a stroll in the park.
“We’re finding that the mere exposure to fast food is promoting a general sense of haste and impatience regardless of the context.”
I'll write something more later -- I'm in a hurry now.
- 3 votes
#1 - Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:22 AM EDTHuh, I wonder if it was the logo itself that prompted them to hurry or the fact that it was apparently shown in a fraction of a second, which could have the same effect.
Either way, this is an interesting study.
- 3 votes
#2 - Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:53 AM EDTThe instant gratification factor is one problem, there is also all the msg and other equally addictive ingredients placed within these sorts of foods that keep people coming back time and again. Couple all of that with the fact that one meal at most fast food joints gives one 2 days worth of calories and at least a weeks worth of salt intake.
So now we not only have an impatient 'give it to me now' instant gratification society, but also an over weight, unhealthy addicted one as well.
The stuff is crap and I refuse to eat it or serve it unless there is no other choice available. : p
- 2 votes
#3 - Sun Apr 18, 2010 12:29 PM EDTI think that a lot of fast food is designed to make your blood sugar spike-- causing the pancreas to secrete excessive insulin-- which in turn cause blood sugar to plummet-- causing you to become hungry again.
Among other consequences-- short term you want to eat more junk food-- which is what the industry wants, of course.. Medium term its causing an obesity epidemic (and its starting younger and younger-- even amongst kids now..). Long term it leads to an increase in diabetes and other diseases in the general population.
- 4 votes
#4 - Sun Apr 18, 2010 9:30 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
