Collective Behavior, Supermarketing, and Obesity
September 11, 2012 | Terry Sharrer
What accounts for the so-called “obesity epidemic?” Suddenly, have millions of people decided they want to be fat? While weight control surely depends on individual behavior, collective behavior in response to supermarket and fast food restaurant advertising just as surely is a contributing external factor. Researchers at City College of New York studied the geography and spatial arrangements of obesity and the concentration of food related businesses, and found a direct correlation between the two. While this is bad news, it also suggests that collective marketing behavior supporting wellness could have positive results. MORE