Fast Food's Impact on the Propensity for Individuals to Engage in Crime

• In Event: Biosocial Research on Nutrition and Antisocial Behaviors

Abstract

This study seeks to uncover the relationship between fast food consumption on the propensity to engage in criminal or delinquent acts. Previous nutrition studies have demonstrated a relationship between diets high in fat and behavior problems. Behavior problems are thought to be related to nutrition because various aspects of diet have been shown to influence neurotransmitter activity. Very few studies, however, have examined the connection between diet and criminal behavior specifically. Data for this study were drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data set, which were utilized to explore a longitudinal relationship between the two aforementioned factors. This study seeks to contribute to the nutrition literature by extending the diet-behavior association to include an examination of criminal behavior. Our findings are relevant in light of the emerging debate regarding the role of nutrition on the development of behavior.

Author

• Matthias James Woeckener, Sam Houston State University