You Want Fries With That Traffic Jam? Illinois Eggheads Find Rush-Hour and Junk Food Link!
A shocking study reveals how rush-hour traffic delays are driving millions of Americans straight to fast-food restaurants instead of home-cooked meals. đ #News #ChampaignIL #Illinois #Lifestyle
CHAMPAIGN, IL – A new study from eggheads in Illinois reveals that when traffic grinds to a halt, so does healthy eating. Unexpected traffic delays during the evening rush are pushing millions of drivers toward fast-food restaurants instead of home-cooked meals, researchers found. The impact is clear: the longer the wait on the road, the more likely drivers are to pull into the nearest drive-through.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign conducted an extensive analysis, tracking traffic patterns in Los Angeles County over more than two years. They cross-referenced this data with cell phone tracking to measure fast-food restaurant visits.
Millions of Extra Fast-Food Trips Linked to Slow Traffic
âIn our analysis focusing on Los Angeles County, unexpected traffic delays beyond the usual congestion led to a 1% increase in fast food visits. That might not sound like a lot, but itâs equivalent to 1.2 million more fast food visits per year in LA County alone,â said Becca Taylor, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at Illinois.
âWe describe our results as being modest but meaningful in terms of potential for changing unhealthy food choices.â
Published in the Journal of Urban Economics, the research identified a direct link between traffic delays and fast-food consumption, showing the connection over timeframes as short as an hour or as long as an entire day.
A mere 30-second-per-mile delay in traffic led to a 1% spike in fast-food visits.
Why the Evening Rush Drives Unhealthy Decisions
Taylor explained how the timing of these delays affects eating habits.
âIt might not be intuitive to imagine what a 30-second delay per mile feels like,â she said.
âI think of it as the difference between 10 a.m. traffic and 5 p.m. traffic.â
During the evening rush between 5 and 7 p.m., fast-food visits surged, while grocery store visits dropped slightly, researchers found.
âIf thereâs traffic between 5 and 7 p.m., which happens to be right around the evening meal time, we see an increase in fast food visits,â Taylor said.
âDrivers have to make a decision about whether to go home and cook something, stop at the grocery store first, or just get fast food.â
Beyond LA: A Nationwide Impact
With fast-food chains lining major roads across the country, researchers believe the trend isnât limited to Los Angeles.
âOur results contribute to the literature suggesting time constraints are really important to the food choices people make,â Taylor said.
âTraffic is essentially lost time,â she added, âand addressing it could play a role in reducing unhealthy eating.â
She suggested that tackling time constraints could lead to healthier choices. Potential solutions could include improving infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion, expanding public transportation, or offering more work-from-home options.
I guess now I have something to blame for my Big Mac addictionâthanks, science! Hehe.
RELATED TOPICS: Food | Ground Transportation | Illinois | Lifestyle
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