A Foody Psychology Post

Fast food is a bigger industry now than it ever was, despite the sometimes questionable quality of this food. We all know the health risks associated with eating too much of this type of food (I'm fairly sure most of us have seen Supersize Me) but it's also common knowledge that once in a while isn't going to hurt you. If I come off sounding preachy I'm really sorry, I don't mean to. I really do think that while eating it 5 times a week is a really bad idea once in a while will do you no harm :). 

But why has this food reached and maintained this level of popularity? Among other things it gives into our love of instant gratification. All of us love getting instant reward; it makes us feel good. But when we don't get the same gratification from other things we can become impatient. So, does exposure to fast food actually affect our impatience?

This research was conducted by two researchers in the University of Toronto and they found that exposure to fast food, even incidental exposure actually can make us more impatient.

You Are How You Eat: Fast Food and Impatience