Eating out in Modern American Society: Why Do People Make the Choice to Eat Outside the Home? Anthony Epter University of Vermont
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University of Vermont ScholarWorks @ UVM Graduate College Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2009 Eating Out in Modern American Society: Why Do People Make the Choice to Eat Outside the Home? Anthony Epter University of Vermont Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis Recommended Citation Epter, Anthony, "Eating Out in Modern American Society: Why Do People Make the Choice to Eat Outside the Home?" (2009). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 77. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/77 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate College Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EATING OUT IN MODERN AMERICAN SOCIETY: WHY DO PEOPLE MAKE THE CHOICE TO EAT OUTSIDE THE HOME? A Thesis Presented by Anthony Epter to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Specializing in Nutrition and Food Sciences October, 2009 Accepted by the Faculty of the Graduate College, The University of Vermont, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, specializing in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Thesis Examination Committee: Advisor qyB. Trubek, Ph.D. - Jane K. Ross, Ph.D. Lemon Daniel Baker, Ph.D. Associate Dean, Graduate College Patricia A. Stokowski, Ph.D. Date: August 14,2009 Abstract This study examines the relationship that people have with the modern day food environment. This study used a qualitative approach using interviews, videotapes, and questionnaires with seventeen participants. This varied approach was used to understand the decision-making process at dinnertime when deciding whether to cook at home or eat out at a restaurant. This was examined primarily through semi-structured interviews as well as the observation and videotaping of individuals preparing meals at dinnertime. The research resulted in three different categories of importance: why people choose to eat out, how people utilize restaurants, and the current roles restaurants have in modern American society. The results show the importance of restaurants in modern society beyond the nourishment that a meal can provide. Many of the themes that arose in this research have been seen in other research in this field, but a few new areas came up. For example, using a restaurant as a resource for new recipes to prepare at home was an area that emerged that had not been mentioned in the previous research. This shows that the relationship that American’s have with the food environment outside the home is continuously transforming. Understanding all of the reasons people eat outside the home is important, as there is a general decrease in cooking practices inside the home. Gaining knowledge in how people make food choices on a daily basis is a good first step in being able to address public health issues that relate to food. This study explores the current food environment in order to have a deeper understanding of why people make the choice to eat outside the home, the ways people utilize restaurants, and the roles of restaurants in society. Acknowledgements Thank you to Chloe for her love, patience, support and keeping me motivated to finish my work. Thank you to Eli for providing me with a good excuse to take a break and also to realize how important it was for me to complete this program. Thank you to my mother, father, and brother for always being supportive and making me realize how important it is to have a Master’s degree. Thank you to Dr. Amy B. Trubek, my advisor. Your willingness to make everything work out is something I will always appreciate. I could not have done this without your support and guidance. Thank you to my committee members, Dr. Jane Ross and Dr. Daniel Baker, for challenging and helping me grow academically. Thank you to my fellow graduate students for the experiences of working together as teaching assistants and for being great people to talk to. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements......................................................................................................... ii List of Tables.................................................................................................................. v List of Figures................................................................................................................ vi Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 5 Obesity – The Facts..................................................................................................... 5 Obesity – Contributing Factors.................................................................................... 6 Growth of the Food Industry ....................................................................................... 9 Food Choices ............................................................................................................ 14 Making the Choice to Eat Outside the Home............................................................. 18 Convenience Foods................................................................................................... 19 Choosing Not to Cook............................................................................................... 22 Choosing to Eat Out.................................................................................................. 27 Experience of Eating Out .......................................................................................... 29 Escape from Routine................................................................................................. 30 Social/Togetherness .................................................................................................. 31 Convenience ............................................................................................................. 34 Limitations to the Current Research .......................................................................... 36 Literature Cited......................................................................................................... 38 Journal # 1 - Why Americans Make the Choice to Eat Outside the Home...................... 43 The Rise of the Food Industry ................................................................................... 48 Why do individuals eat outside the home?................................................................. 51 Time ......................................................................................................................... 51 Balancing Cost and Convenience with Energy as a Driving Force............................. 56 Recreating Foods Eaten Outside the Home................................................................ 63 New & Different Foods............................................................................................. 66 Threshold of Capability............................................................................................. 67 Eating Out Without Rules ......................................................................................... 70 Social........................................................................................................................ 72 Food Choices ............................................................................................................ 76 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 83 Literature Cited......................................................................................................... 88 Journal # 2 -What are the Roles of Restaurants at Dinnertime in America? ................... 92 Background............................................................................................................... 93 Methods.................................................................................................................... 98 Participants ............................................................................................................. 103 Results & Discussion .............................................................................................. 105 iii Resource for Entertainment..................................................................................... 106 Resource for Social Connections............................................................................. 107 Resource for Saving Time....................................................................................... 109 Resource for Trying New Foods.............................................................................. 111 Resource for Creating New Foods at Home............................................................. 113 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 115 Literature Cited....................................................................................................... 122 Comprehensive Bibliography...................................................................................... 124 Appendices ................................................................................................................