Mindless Eating: Mini Research Project Taylor Banty

1) Describe the topic and methods of the mini research study. I conducted this experiment in my own dorm room. I asked five of my friends to participate in my experiment. Each person was given a family size bag of Puffy Cheetos that I had previously weighed. Then we began to discuss the stresses of the week we had.

2) Why is researching this particular topic and research relevant to the general population? I believe that this topic is relevant to the general population because as college students, we are not always cognizant of how much we eat. When given a large bag of chips, or junk food in general, people tend to eat more because it is there, not because they are hungry. This research could shed some light on how people eat food, without even thinking about how it will affect them, or how much they are eating.

3) Who was studied? Person 1: female college student (freshman) Person 2: female college student (sophomore) Person 3: female college student (freshman) Person 4: female college student (freshman) Person 5: female college student (sophomore)

4) What was the hypothesis? If people are stressed out and given an entire bag of puffy Cheetos, then their level of stress will equate to the amount of Cheetos they eat.

5) State the study’s methods. Prior to distributing the bags, I measured their weight. I gave one bag of puffy Cheetos to each person I asked people to discuss the stress of their week. It was generally a casual conversation. Once our conversation was over, I measured the weight of each bag.

6) What were the findings of the research? Person 1: Beginning bag weight: 16 oz Final bag weight: 15 oz Difference of: 1 oz Person 2: Final bag weight: 10 oz Difference of: 6 oz Person 3: Final bag weight: 12 oz Difference of: 4 oz Person 4: Beginning bag weight: 16 oz Final bag weight: 8 oz Difference of: 8 oz Person 5: Final bag weight: 9 oz Difference of: 7 oz

6a) Were results similar throughout the subjects tested? Why or why not? Yes, most people were having very busy weeks, which added to their stress. These subjects ate more. One had a relative who passed away (Person 4), another had a boyfriend who was a marine and leaving the country soon (Person5). The subject who ate the least was having a great week (Person 1). She had just been inducted into an honor society on campus and won her rugby match the previous weekend.

6b) Did the findings match the hypothesis? Why or why not? Yes, my findings matched my hypothesis. The more that each student ate equated to the amount of stress that they had in the past week. My hypothesis was proven true.

6c) What observations/opinions can you make regarding the results and the Longwood University population? I can conclude that students at Longwood University do have control when it comes to eating food. If there is food available, students will eat. This experiment could help students to realize the amount of food they eat, and how to portion it out. Junk food isn’t necessarily bad as long as it is eaten in moderation.

6d) How can these results help to change “Mindless Eating?” These results can help to make people aware of how much they are actually eating, even when they don’t realize it in the moment. They can show people how to portion out snacks, instead of eating them straight from the bag/packaging.