Getting stuck in traffic doesn’t just waste your time—it might also be shaping what you eat for dinner. New research tracking millions of food-related trips in Los Angeles County reveals that even minor increases in traffic congestion make people more likely to opt for fast food instead of stopping at the grocery store.
Key Findings
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Traffic Delays Drive Fast Food Visits: The study found that as traffic worsens, fast food restaurant visits go up, while trips to supermarkets slightly decline. Even small increases in congestion can lead to a measurable rise in fast food consumption.
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Rush Hour Impact: The effect is most pronounced during the evening rush hour, especially between 5 and 7 p.m., when people are heading home and deciding what to eat.
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Public Health Implications: While the individual effect is small, it adds up—researchers estimate that traffic jams contribute to 1.2 million extra fast food visits per year in LA County alone. This trend could quietly be influencing public health by encouraging less healthy eating habits.
How the Study Worked
Researchers analyzed three years of data (2017-2019) from over 20,000 food establishments in LA County, using smartphone location data to track where people went to eat. They cross-referenced this with real-time traffic data from over 2,500 highway monitors, focusing on weekday travel when time pressures are highest.
Why It Matters
The study shows that time lost to traffic congestion nudges people toward quick, convenient options like fast food, which are typically higher in calories, fat, and sodium than home-cooked meals. This subtle shift, multiplied across millions of commuters, could be contributing to rising rates of obesity and diet-related diseases.
Not Just a Coincidence
Researchers controlled for factors like weather, holidays, and even random traffic accidents to ensure the effect was real. They found that the increase in fast food visits wasn’t just people shifting their eating habits to a different day—it represented a true net increase.
Solutions Beyond Nutrition
The findings suggest that improving transportation infrastructure, expanding public transit, or encouraging flexible work arrangements could have unexpected health benefits by reducing the time pressures that push people toward unhealthy food choices.
Next time you’re stuck in traffic, you might want to think twice before hitting the drive-thru. The time you lose on the road could be quietly steering you toward less healthy dinner decisions.