Description
The starting point of this research was the observation that once obesity is removed from the framework, there is little published in the scientific literature on Fast-food consumption by adolescents. Drivers of consumption previously explored are mainly social and economic determinants, related to marketing activity or availability on the market. From a social perspective, it is well established that Fast Food consumption has a different meaning according to the local culture. From a psychological point-of-view, it is assumed that emotions can be both a determinant and an outcome of Fast Food consumption, especially as people may tend to gain weight and therefore enter a vicious cycle. In order to further explore the links between Fast Food consumption and mood, a pilot study was conducted on young Danes aged from 13 to 25 years old. The secondary objective was to assess a new sampling technique. Indeed in Denmark, a country of 5.6 million inhabitants, the majority of people live in big cities and almost the entire target population is on social media. The survey was communicated through Facebook to more than 330 people and received a response rate of about 60% in only one week. Along with other noticeable facts, it was found that only 20% of respondents comply with the Danish recommendation of eating 6 fruits and vegetables a day but also that more than 20% consume Fast Food once or twice a week. This might be linked to the fact that on their way to school or work respondents find from 5 up to more than 20 Fast Food shops. Results enabled researchers to categorize the youth population according to different characteristics, such as their self-description; either driven by health, mood, or social behavior; their attitude toward Fast Food consumption; follower, pragmatic, social or selfish and the way they explain their choice; convenience, ‘don’t care’ or hedonistic. Further research should be conducted on the link between emotions and Fast Food consumption, and more particularly on Fast Food addiction.| Period | 1 Jun 2012 |
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| Event title | 5th International Research Symposium: Eating behaviors of young people |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Lyon, FranceShow on map |