Time of their livesPrepared Foods/Business News Publishing, November 2004 The terms "dashboard dining" and "deskfast" have
been ringing around the food and beverage industry for years. Time-strapped
consumers simply are fitting meal occasions wherever they can in their
busy lives, and the number of such consumers continues to grow. The American Dietetic Association (Chicago) and ConAgra Foods' (Omaha, Neb.) Foundation Home Food Safety program conducted a survey of 1,521 men and women. The results show that about 62% of people say they are sometimes or often too busy to sit down to eat. Furthermore, some nine out of 10 admit to doing other things while preparing meals. Some 35% dine at their desk at work, and they report that they multitask during that meal occasion--working on the computer, reading, making and receiving phone calls, writing, doing calculations or cleaning their work area. Even more frightening, though, may be the hygienic issue that was discovered: 31% report that they do not consistently wash their hands when switching tasks during meal preparation. While the food safety concerns from such information are obvious, the other statistical data may well offer an explanation for, of all things, obesity, says one dietician. Quoted in the September 30, 2004, USA Today, Robyn Flipse, a registered dietician in Bradley Beach, N.J., says people who eat quickly while doing other chores do not realize how much they are consuming, nor do they garner as much enjoyment from the meal as they could.
In the Meantime ... Percentage of Americans who multitask during their eating occasions. 91% watch television while eating meals at home 35% eat lunch at their desk 26% often eat while driving 3% eat most of the time while driving Source: American Dietetic Association |