May 10 2009

Weekend fun: eat fast, grow the economy!

According to the latest charts in the New York Times, countries in which people eat more quickly have faster growing economies than countries in which people linger over meals.  The Gross National Product in such countries also suffered less severe declines last year.  On the other hand, they exhibit higher rates of obesity.  Coincidence?  Maybe, but here’s another example of why food is such a powerful tool for examining major societal questions.

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  • Jon
  • May 10, 2009
  • 9:16 pm

Yeah, but if you throw France off (what with an American boycott of all things even remotely French), what do you have?

Still, in a way it makes sense. A dystopian way where everyone lives on Darth Vader nutrient feeders. (Don’t believe it’ll happen? I find your lack of faith disturbing.)

  • Steve
  • May 11, 2009
  • 2:09 pm

oh Marion, your not an economist, neither of those is what the charts show. stick to food.

  • Jon
  • May 11, 2009
  • 8:25 pm

She may not be an economist, but I bet she could tell you that lending money to people who can’t afford to pay you back is a Bad Idea.

  • Cathy Richards
  • May 13, 2009
  • 1:43 pm

Nice find Marion. The GDP is not a good reflector of the health of a country. For example, formula feeding your baby increases the GDP much more than breastfeeding does. Go figure.

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